India starts cultivation of asafoetida for the first time

The CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology has started the cultivation of asafoetida for the first time in India. The first seedling of the spice was planted at a farmer's field in Kwaring village of Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh on October 15. India imports about 1200 tonnes of raw asafoetida annually from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan, spending around ₹730 crore.