India
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Uttarakhand eyes Rudraksh citing 63.7% China import share
The Indian Express··18 Sept
Uttarakhand directed Horticulture to draft Rudraksh policy after a Nepal study trip in March 2026. A July presentation cites customs data saying China accounts for 63.7% of recorded Rudraksh exports, with the United States at 19.3%. It estimates China's 2025 imports at $100,800,000. Scientist Ramesh Singh Pal said hill villages lack cash crops. Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay requested the policy.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Hill farmers in listed districts could gain a new cash crop if plantations succeed.
- Bead demand from China and the US could set export prices for Uttarakhand growers.
- Families weighing migration may stay if Rudraksh income replaces damaged farm yields.
What's Happening
- A four-member delegation visited Nepal March 23 to 29, 2026.
- The 197-page technical report compared soils in Tehri, Rishikesh and other sites.
- High potential districts include Pauri, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Almora and Bageshwar.
China share of Rudraksh imports
- The presentation estimates India's own import bill at $20,140,000, mostly from Indonesia and Nepal.
- Nepal's belt sits between 600 and 2,000 metres altitude with comparable rainfall to proposed zones.
- Experts warn Bhadraksh species can be mistaken for Rudraksh without careful planting.
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