THE sea buckthorn (Hyppophae rhamonides) is a multipurpose hardy shrub, 2-4 meters in height, which produces valuable orange berries. The plant is mostly found in the Northern Areas including Gilgit, Ghizar, Ganche, Astore, Skardu, Baltistan, and Hunza besides Kurram Agency, Chitral and upper Swat.

Sea buckthorn has been used over centuries as an herbal medicine to relieve cough, aid digestion, invigorate blood circulation and alleviate pain. The sea buckthorn is not widely tapped for its multifarious benefits despite an estimated natural cover of 7,000 acres with annual production of about 160kg per acre. Earlier, in 1977 the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) had developed, introduced and promoted various products of sea buckthorn and also conducted capacity building programmes to tap the resource in Skardu district.

At local level it is used as firewood, hedges, fodder and compost while it's potential as medicine, food as well as an income-generating source are limited and has not been realised holistically. The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (Parc) has been promoting various products of the plant in the Northern Areas quite recently through different projects.

Because of its severe weather resistant nature and huge root system fixing nitrogen in the soil, sea buckthorn is regarded as an environment friendly plant. It adds to the soil fertility and helps in reclamation of barren lands. Moreover, it also serves as a nurse plant for other vegetative growth. Its strong and extensive root network helps control land slides. The wide adaptation, fast growth, strong coppicing and suckering habits make the plant well adapted for soil conservation, soil improvement and marginal land reclamation. Observations and surveys show that many birds and animals depend on the plant for food and shelter.

Its significance is not only restricted to ecological importance, water conservation and soil stability but has also economic, biochemical and nutritional value with its fruits rich in vitamins. Studies have shown that its fruit is 5-16 times rich in vitamins C than any other fruit and vegetable. Its pulp has high medicinal value because of oil. Preparations of sea buckthorn oils are recommended for external use in case of burns and other skin complications induced by treatment with X-ray or radiation.

Recently, clinical studies on anti-tumor functions of sea buckthorn oils conducted in China have been positive. The oil, juice or extracts from oil, leaves and bark of the plant have been used successfully to treat high blood lipid symptoms, eye diseases, gingivitis and cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Its focal medicinal applications include cancer therapy, cardiovascular risk factors, gastrointestinal ulcers, skin disorders, and liver protection.

The seed of the plant having iron and phosphorus contents matures in September and October. The flavonoids of sea buckthorn which is mainly found in the fruit pulp as well as in leaves and oils of sea buckthorn which are obtained from its seeds and fleshy part of the fruit have medicinal value and application.

A variety of key products such as jams, jelly, syrup, squash, shampoo, can be prepared from the plant. Moreover, its leaves also serve as fodder having 23 per cent proteins. The residue obtained in wake of the processing method applied can also be utilised as valuable animal feed. The leaves are also being used for making a beverage tea.

In Northern Areas local communities are reluctant to tap this resource successfully because of time consuming harvesting technique, high labour cost, and high product prices and this has been one of the prime hurdles in proper marketing. Manual harvesting of berries is difficult due to their dense arrangement among thorns on each branch and farmers can't afford advanced fruit harvesting techniques that are currently applied in developed countries.

As there is plenty sea buckthorn untapped in its core regions of the country, they can be collected and exported to European countries besides America and Canada. There is also great need to launch awareness campaigns for adopting sea buckthorn as an economic crop.

Farmers who raise the plant should be given incentives in terms of purchasing their produce at subsidised rates. There is also a great need to conduct extensive research and study to qualify the plant on grand scale use to benefit the local communities. Sea buckthorn plantation can be raised and promoted which would generate income and provide fuel wood. Its tapping can prove effective not only in alleviating poverty in Northern Areas but also help people in having access to a variety of its useful products.