ASAFOETIDA

Oct. 20, 2020

CSIR-IHBT makes history by introducing asafoetida (Heeng) cultivation in Indian Himalayan region.

About:

  • Due to efforts of CSIR constituent laboratory, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, farmers of the Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh are taking up cultivation of asafoetida (Heeng).

  • Asafoetida is one of the top condiments and is a high value spice crop in India.

  • India imports about 1200 tonnes of raw asafoetida annually from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan and spends approximately 100 million USD per year.

  • CSIR-IHBT has now introduced six accessions of seeds from Iran through ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), New Delhi in October, 2018.

  • In the past thirty years, this has been the first attempt for introduction of asafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida) seeds in the country.

Source : PIB

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