One of the most nutritious, enjoyable and commercially valuable fruit crops in Ladakh, apricot (Prunus armeniaca) locally called as "chulli" is grown across a substantial area of Ladakh with major distribution found in Sham areas (lower Ladakh). These locations include Dha-Hanu, Garkhon, Skurbuchan, Domkhar, Wanla, Khaltse and Timosgang. Ladakh is thought to have received its first apricot from either China or Central Asia about 100 years ago. Now it is one of the most desirable and commercially grown crops in Ladakh, making it an important crop to the people of Ladakh. Due to the apricot's unique, hardy/tolerant and durable characteristics, apricot trees will grow in many different environments and very different soil types in Ladakh that all have low nutrition and water available and which are located in an arid region known locally as "Cold Desert." The apricot tree can grow to a height of approximately 4-7 m, has heart-shaped leaves and produces flowers in the spring and fruit in the summer. The warm breezes of spring awaken the apricot trees from the long cold winter dormancy and are going to produce new green leaf buds for the rest of the growing season; and by the month of April-May they produce beautiful white or pinkish flowers that not only ensures the continuity of their population but also give a unique look to the sandy desert of trans-Himalaya. By the month of August-September, they start producing yellow-orange, rounded or oval shaped fruits that are juicy, sweet taste with peculiar apricot flavour.
In Ladakh, there are different types of apricot trees that produce different types of apricots (taste, shape, colour, etc.). The three most popular types of apricots that are grown in Ladakh for commercial purposes are Halman, Laktse-karpo, and Safaida. Both the fruit and the kernel of an apricot are considered by locals to be very nutritious and can be eaten either fresh or dried. In addition, apricots also contain many vitamins (vitamins A & C), nutrients (potassium, calcium, iron), carbohydrates, amino acids, and sugars.
For the past few years, people in Ladakh have been enjoying apricots. Because of this, dried and/or fresh apricots have become part of Ladakh’s cultural heritage. The people of Ladakh often consume dried or fresh apricots as a delicious dessert, especially at time of celebration or during festivals. During the cold winter months, when the people of Ladakh typically stay inside, they can eat dried apricots to help satisfy their hunger during the long, cold winter months; this is especially true for children because they like to... fill their pockets with dried apricots and eat them while they are inside.
The farmers of Ladakh are experts at preserving and storing fruits by using open sun drying, which is one of the most ancient and effective preservation techniques known to man. The women and children from their communities gather fully ripe apricots into large traditional baskets (Tsepos), clean the apricots in running water to remove any dirt, and then lay the apricots to dry in the global sun. The apricots can be dried in either the whole or halved form (Fating) with or without the pit removed, and the latter are referred to as Chulliskampo. While drying, the apricots change colour because of exposure to the sun, making them dark brown. This browning is one of the biggest problems with using traditional sun-drying techniques in Ladakh. However, in recent years, Ladakhi farmers have found several different types of improved drying methods, including sulfur dioxide treatment and using a polyhouse to dry the apricots. It is thought these improved methods will minimize or completely eliminate the browning effect.
From the commercial point of view, apricot has been the major source of income for many Ladakhis who are engaged in cultivation and marketing of this fruit. Halman and Laktse-karpo are the two prime varieties that have a good demand in the market and are profitably sold @ Rs 200 - 250 per kilogram. Besides, the kernel of apricot is also consumed and marketed by locals. The seed with sweet kernel is consumed as dry fruit and make a good market price of Rs 100-150/kg while the seed with bitter kernel are used for oil extraction. The apricot oil (locally called tseghumar) is a multipurpose oil with a peculiar apricot flavour and is sold at a remarkable price of Rs 300-500 per litre. Traditionally, the oil is extracted from the semi-roasted kernels by crushing them in a large wooden mortar (locally termed as Thorn), followed by heating and compressing them with few drops of water on a flat stone(called as Tsigg). Besides, several other products such as apricot jam, squash, jelly and cake are being produced for commercial purposes.
It is important to point out that Ladakh is one of the biggest producers of apricots in India, however almost 90% of the apricots produced in this cold arid region will soon go to waste and sell at a very low price. The reason for this is that there is no proper network to process and supply apricot products in Ladakh and elsewhere in India. Although the local growers have the skills to grow and dry apricots, they do not have modern skills for proper preservation, storage and transportation of apricot products. This is a considerable loss to not only the impoverished farmers but also to the overall economy of Ladakh.
Farmers and young people need to gain a better knowledge about growing and selling apricots if they want to get the most out of this crop. The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) has done extensive work on the growing, processing, and selling of apricots in Ladakh and need to do more of the same to address key issues facing these growers and sellers. To turn apricots, which are considered gifts from God in Ladakh, into a lucrative business for the many poor farmers in ladakh, both local government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) need to wake up and get on board with the farmers.
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