SRINAGAR: The Sea Buckthorn Processing Unit at Chushot in Leh and the Apricot Processing Unit at Chanigound in Kargil, envisioned as key infrastructure for horticulture-based livelihoods in Ladakh, are yet to be completed due to site-related issues, the Union government informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
In a written reply to an unstarred question, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh said that both projects were approved in March 2024 under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme as incubation centres, with 100 per cent Central Government Grant-in-Aid amounting to Rs 5.50 crore. The units are being implemented by the Union Territory administration of Ladakh.
The minister said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, was designated as the mentor institute for the projects. However, following a site assessment, the initially identified facility was found unsuitable for installation of the processing lines. As a result, the UT administration identified an alternative location and has submitted a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Public Works Department.
Acknowledging the importance of the projects, the ministry said the incubation centres are intended to address critical infrastructure gaps for value addition of Sea Buckthorn in Leh and apricots in Kargil—both crops prone to high post-harvest losses due to limited local processing capacity. The government said it recognises the strategic role of these units in reducing wastage and generating sustainable income for farmers.
According to the ministry, each incubation centre under the PMFME scheme is equipped with three to five processing lines for One District One Product (ODOP) and allied products, operating on a custom-hiring basis. These facilities are designed to provide micro-entrepreneurs, farmer-producer organisations and self-help groups access to food processing infrastructure without heavy capital investment.
The Centre said it is regularly reviewing progress with the Ladakh administration to resolve implementation issues and expedite completion. Once operational, the units are expected to support local farmers, women self-help groups and youth-led enterprises through processing facilities, training and mentoring, while strengthening value addition in Ladakh’s fragile but high-value horticulture sector, the ministry told Parliament.
