| |  | | Seabuckthorn From Pakistan
Answered by: Richard Alan Miller
Question from: Saeed Kazmi
Posted on: April 14, 2002
Where do you purchase seabuckthorn berries? Would you be interested in purchasing high quality berries at reasonable prices from Pakistan? They are grown in the northern areas of Pakistan next to Himalayan range of mountains. If you are not interested, would you kindly let me know how I can find international buyers?
This is a new crop for world trade, so there are few buyers and most in this trade are not yet familiar with its use as a pharmaceutical or flavor.
When I was up in Winnipeg (Manitoba) giving an 8-hour workshop, I met the Sea Buckthorn Field Manager for Canada. His name is Ron Drohomereski, and can be reached at 1-204-886-3496. He approached me as I have two Japanese buyers who want to see samples. Both wanted single cargo-box loads of 20-foot containers (est. 18,000 lbs.) First crops from Canadian cultivation should be ready this late summer, although volumes won’t become available for another two years. The organization is young, and just beginning to put their marketing program together.
With more background (Sea Buckthorn Production Guide), this study seems to indicate that this crop will grown in a number of habitats, but that it may be somewhat like echinacea (which is habitat specific) for highest flavinoids yields. If this becomes a soft drink flavor, like the cranberry, this aspect will become far more significant in future markets.
Anyway, with no real data yet on market potentials, all productions are still held to field studies only. There are about 270 people involved, but the exact acres are still not even estimatable (yet). Neither are the markets. Ron seemed quite knowledgeable on this crop.
The primary source of technical information comes from Thomas S. C. Li, of the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, B.C., part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
My inclination is to help my own country in these limited production crops, prior to giving favor to cheaper sources. However, I probably can help you identify international buyers. ZXChem (China) might be very interested, especially if it was a final product (processed).
[Note added by the editor: Richard Alan Miller is a herb crops expert and broker who operates independently of Richters. If you wish to have Richard represent your crops as a broker, we will be glad to forward your request to him. Purchasing inquiries to Richters should be made to the purchasing department, at purchasing@richters.com. As of April 2002, Richters does not need seabuckthorn berries, but you are welcome to contact the purchasing department in the future.]
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