Assafoetida (Heeng) Plant

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecology

Context- As Himalayan farmers grow the country’s first asafoetida plants, changing weather threatens to play spoilsport.

Concept-

Farmers growing Ferula assafoetida, a perennial herb valued for its resin asafoetida (heeng), as part of an initiative by the Institute Of Himalayan Bioresource Technology.
Although asafoetida has a long history of use in India, both as a flavouring agent and folk medicine, every pinch of it is imported from the Mediterranean regions of Central and East Asia whose cold arid regions offer a suitable environment for the plant to thrive even in the wild.
Heeng is not cultivated in India. Government data states that India imports about 1,200 tonnes of raw heeng worth Rs 600 crore from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Regions with sandy soil, very little moisture and annual rainfall of not more than 200mm are considered conducive for heeng cultivation in India.
Some initial experiments were conducted in high altitude districts of Mandi, Kinnaur, Kullu, Manali and Palampur in Himachal Pradesh.

About AssaFoetida (Heeng) Plant:

Ferula assafoetida is a species of Ferula endemic to Southern Iran.
F assafoetida grows in cool but dry conditions.
The plant can withstand a maximum temperature between 35 and 40 degree, whereas during winters, it can survive in temperatures up to minus 4 degree. During extreme weather, the plant can get dormant.
Though the plant can tolerate temperatures up to 35 degree C, it requires abundant sunshine and thrives in a temperature varying from 10-20 degree C.
It is a soft- stemmed plant that grows up to 1.5 m in height and has dissected leaves with carrot-like roots.
After five years, when the plant starts flowering around May, its stem is cut close to the crown and the root is laid bare.
It exudes a milky substance called oleo gum resin, which is allowed to dry until it turns pale yellow or brown and then scraped off. These scrapings have a strong pungent smell.
To turn it into an edible spice, the raw extract is mixed with wheat or rice flour.
One plant produces 20 to 25 grams of asafoetida. While its price depends on the quality, 1 kg of pure asafoetida is sold up to ‘25,000 and 1 ha can earn about ‘10 lakh every five years.

What are some of the benefits of asafoetida?

Published studies list out a range of medicinal properties of heeng, including relief for digestive, spasmodic and stomach disorders, asthma and bronchitis.
The herb is commonly used to help with painful or excessive bleeding during menstruation and premature labour.
Being an anti-flatulent, the herb is fed to new mothers.