Aphrodisiac Yarsagumba costly this year

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Aphrodisiac Yarsagumba costly this year
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh,  Aug 4                                  Yarsa Gumba (cater pillar Fungus), the aphrodisiac Himalayan herb, has gone costly this year as the collection of the herb was less due to extended snowfall in high altitude meadows of high Himalayan regions of the district this year where it is found.
” The snowfall, that used to stop in April,every year giving the villagers time till June to collect the fungus, was prolonged till June this year giving the villagers less time for the collection of caterpillar fungus, “said Puran Pandey, a social worker based in Munsiyari.

According to some traders of Yarsa Gumba, the rates  of Yarsa Gumba that were Rs 8 lakh per kg, during coron epidemic period have now shot up tp Rs 14 lakh per kg this year.”Mostly Nepalese traders come to purchase it and they send it to Chinese markets via Tibet.”said Ramesh, a Yarsa Gumba collector in  Sai polo village of Munsiyari.

over 19 villages of Munsiyari sub division and 23 villages from Darma and chaundas valley of pithoragarh district depend on collection of Yarsa Gumba for their livelihood every year from last 20 years.According to sources, over 200 kg of of Yarsa Gumba was collected by these villagers this year, that used to be at 5 to 6 quintal in some years till last years.”

Some social workers in Munsiyari have objected to raids of forest department officials on people carrying the herb and alleged the forest officials of harasing the  traders.”when the Yarsa Gumba is being sold by internet, it is useless to seize it from collectors.”said Sri Ram Singh Dharmasaktu, president of Malla Johar vikash samiti in Munsiyari.

According to forest officials, illegal collection and disbursement of Yarsa Gumba is being caught by forest department.”We are giving permission to villagers to collect Yarsa Gumba in forest areas only on the condition to give us information of collection  and pay Rs ten thousands per kg as royalty, but most of collectors are violating rules that is why we are seizing the consignments that is being sold without paying the forest royalty.”said Jeewan Mohan Dagare, DFO Pithoragarh.