By Faiza Tehseen ISLAMABAD, Feb. 11(INP-WealthPK): The Indus Valley of Pakistan was once rich in indigo farming culture, artisans and industries related to it. Indigo or ‘blue gold’ of the east is in high demand worldwide as an eco-friendly and organic dye. Natural indigo powder is prepared from the extracts of a plant called indigofera tinctoria to produce the multiple tints of blue colour (from pale sky to deep navy almost black in shade). Both the plant and powder of natural indigo are versatile for many industrial, pharmaceutical and food provisioning usages. Since the olden days, the Sindh province of Pakistan is well-known for the production of craft dyes to produce Ajrak (traditional Sindhi shawl and natural indigo dye provided it the quality to be warm in winter and cool in summer); Jahawardar Jandi (special woodwork resembling tiny beads) and Kashi Kari (artwork to adorn ceramics in blue or its multiple hues and shades). Natural indigo was the special tint used for the production of such ancient craftsmanship. Sindhi artisans consider the lack of natural indigo, called Neer in local language, as a loss for their traditional craft works. The first yield produces 30 to 35 kilogrammes per acre, second 30 to 35kg per acre and the third 20-25 or bit more if properly taken care of. The natural indigo is sold at approximately Rs4,000 per kg, its foliage or raw product about Rs800 per kg, while the seed about Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 per kg. Indigo sowing season in Pakistan starts from March and the crop produces three yields after three months. The crop consumes less water mostly after a fortnight. Mostly it grows without any chemical input but needs slightly moist land. It is, however, vulnerable in dry conditions. Bangladesh, which remained the hub of natural indigo production in the past, has revived this old industry by giving it a heritage patronage. Now, the country produces indigo more than its needs. It is earning good profits in the international market by exporting the excessive indigo and the products made of it. In Chinese culture, it is named as indigo naturalis or qing dai, and is used to cure ailments along with scorpion and snake bites. In some cultures, firefighters used to wear indigo-soaked dress as a fire-retardant, which could bear the temperature up to 1500-degree Fahrenheit. Natural indigo dye is also used as a deodoriser, anti-bacterial and insets-repellent. The leaves, stems and roots of indigo plants are used to prepare herbal tea while the powdered leaves are used in a variety of edible uses i.e., sweets, sauces, spices and smoothies. In beauty industry, natural indigo is used to prepare hair colour, makeup colour and tattooing. It is considered the best for the production of nontoxic crayons. Indigo is mostly used to dye the cotton yarn, mainly used in the production of denim cloth. However, the production of synthetic indigo harms the ecosystem. A key component of synthetic indigo is Indoxyl sulphate derived from petrochemicals, which can produce non-recycled toxic waste and contaminate water on a large scale. Mordant used as a colour binder for synthetic indigo is highly toxic as it consists of heavy metals e.g., aluminium and chromium, which are potentially toxic for overall living species and ecosystem. Keeping this in view, scientists are trying to genetically engineer bacteria to get plant production like indigo. Nano Technology is also under consideration for the purpose. In international markets, the demand for natural indigo dye is increasing as it is organic and can produce the specific shade of blue jeans trending all times. China, the UK, the US, France, Australia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Japan, Jordan, Bahrain, among other countries, are considered to be the valuable markets for natural indigo and its products. China can be a good market for Pakistan to trade in natural indigo as the former is a regular importer of the product. For data about China’s imports of natural indigo and its products from 2007 to 2021:https://www.ceicdata.com/en/china/petrochemical-trade-coating-ink-and-pigment/cn-import-natural-indigo--preparation-based-thereon The WWF-Pakistan helped the country revive its Indus Valley tradition by launching a three-year Ecoregion Community Livelihood Project (IECLP) in May 2019. The project was launched with the financial assistance of Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) through the World Bank for the regular value chain assessment of indigo crop, dye and products. The project was initiated at four priority sites of the Indus ecoregion, including Keenjhar Lake in Thatta district, Manchhar Lake in Jamshoro, Chotiari reservoir in Sanghar and Nara wetland complex in Khairpur. Under the alternative livelihood components, IECLP has revived the centuries-old indigo crop in the project sites. In order to restore the forgotten crop, 15 demonstration plots (two acres each) for indigo cultivation were selected. The main purpose of IECLP is to develop a complete value chain of indigo for improved production, income generation and employability along with the training of tactics and uniformed marketing training. The WWF-Pakistan has also offered incentives to farmers, including provision of indigo seeds, because these are costly and not easily available in the market. The WWF in collaboration with Hunarmand, the Sindh government’s culture-promotion entity, took an initiative ‘Hunar se rung dou neero’ in December 2019 to train the skilled indigo farmers about the effective marketing and development of value chain to trade natural indigo and its products. Initiatives were also taken to revive the indigo cultivation near the Pai forest in the Nawabshah district of the Sindh province in 2010.