Raj govt embarks on developing Nihar henna

Jaipur, Apr 17 (UNI) Encouraged by the worldwide demand for Nihar henna from Sojat, the Rajasthan Government today asked the agriculture department to develop this variety of black henna to be used as a substitute for chemical hair dyers.

''I have directed the forest and agriculture department to conduct research on developing a black henna variety,'' Rajasthan forest and Enviornment Minister Laxmi Narayan Dave said.

It will have a wide market as herbal black henna can effectively be used as a substitute for chemical hair dyers, he added.

Nitesh Agarwal of Natural Herbal Industries (NHI) said Nihar henna is sought after product in the Gulf and European countries and accounts for about Rs 100 crore business.

Sojat Henna alone accounts for about Rs 100-125 crore business in Rajasthan per annum and around 3,000 families depend on Henna cultivation for their livelihood.

UNI