Johar Valley
More actions
| Johar Valley | |
|---|---|
| Johar, Goriganga Valley | |
| Hierarchy | |
| Gene Pool | South Asian Gene Pool |
| Regional Complex | Himalayas |
| Growing Region | Western Himalayas |
| Geography | |
| Country | India |
| Province/State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Pithoragarh |
| Coordinates | 30.350000, 80.050000 |
| Landscape | |
| Elevation | 2,400–3,400 m |
| Terrain | High-altitude glacial valley, terraced slopes |
| Climate | |
| Climate Type | Alpine and sub-alpine |
| Seasons | Planting April-May, Harvest October-November |
| Documentation | |
| Appellations | 0 |
| Accessions | 16 |
| Conservation | |
| Status | Vulnerable |
Johar Valley is a landrace cannabis growing area in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India, comprising the upper valley of the Goriganga river above Munsyari. Cultivation is concentrated in a string of high-altitude Bhotiya villages historically used as summer settlements, with documented accessions from Saimat, Panchhu, Burphu, Bilju and Martoli between approximately 2,400 m and 3,400 m elevation. Plantings are made in April-May with harvest in October-November.
Field documentation in the valley was conducted by Isabella and Roy for the Zomia Collective in September 2025.
Geography
Johar Valley sits in the upper Goriganga catchment, draining south from the Indo-Tibetan watershed near Milam Glacier into the Kali river system. The valley forms part of the Kumaon sub-range of the Western Himalayas in eastern Uttarakhand and is bordered to the north by Tibet. Settlements documented for cannabis cultivation lie above the road head at Munsyari, accessed by foot trails through the Munsyari Tehsil of Pithoragarh district.
Cultivation
Growing practices
Sourcing types
Documented accessions span multiple sourcing modes: village selections from cultivated plants, hand selections from individual plants, household and retail sources from shopkeepers and resident families. Refer to the accession table below for per-village classification.
Accessions
| Accession ID | Name | Locality | Elevation | Classification | Selection | Priority | Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250036 | Johar Valley Martoli Village Glacier Selection 2025 | Martoli | 3,350 m | Feral | Single plant | Medium | 29 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250033 | Johar Valley Burphu Village Feral Glacier Selection 2025 | Burphu | 3,250 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 28 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250034 | Johar Valley Burphu Village Glacier Selection 2024 | Burphu | 3,250 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 28 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250035 | Johar Valley Bilju Village Feral Glacier Selection 2025 | Bilju | 3,250 m | Feral | Multiple plants | Medium | 28 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250032 | Johar Valley Panchu Village Feral Glacier Selection 2025 | Panchhu | 3,287 m | Feral | Multiple plants | Medium | 27 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250031 | Johar Valley Panchu Village Glacier Selection 2024 | Panchhu | 3,360 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 27 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250030 | Johar Valley Saimat General Population 2024 | Saimut | 1,384 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 25 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250029 | Harkot General Population 2024 | Harkot | 2,040 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 24 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250028 | Madkote General Population 2024 | Madkote | 1,200 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 21 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250027 | Bona Village General Population 2024 | Bona | 2,139 m | Landrace | Medium | 21 September 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250025 | Bata Lower General Population 2024 | Bata | 2,200 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 21 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250026 | Bata Upper General Population 2024 | Bata | 2,500 m | Landrace | Medium | 21 September 2025 | |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-0920250024 | Sera General Population 2024 | Sera | 1,260 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 19 September 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-1020250001 | Munsyari General Poplation 2024 #2 | Munsyari | 2,200 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 10 June 2025 |
| ZOM-IND-UTT-1020250000 | Munsyari General Population 2024 #1 | Munsyari | 2,200 m | Landrace | Multiple plants | Medium | 10 April 2025 |
Conservation Status
Conservation status: Vulnerable — Traditional high-altitude cultivation across a small number of villages, no active eradication documented, limited prior documentation in the literature.
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