Himalayan fungus harvest disappoints collectors in Nepal

For decades, the prized Himalayan fungus-caterpillar, known as yarsagumba, has been a vital source of income for thousands of families in Nepal's remote Karnali province. But this year, the arduous trek into alpine meadows yielded little reward for collectors like 62-year-old Durga Bahadur Budha.

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We crossed dangerous cliffs and risked our lives to reach the pasture, but even with four of us searching for two weeks, we could barely find 12 to 15 pieces a day. Our expenses kept rising while the harvest remained poor. Even earning Rs100,000 after covering costs became difficult.

Budha and his family spent two weeks combing the Thulo Koiki pasture, a journey that involved a three-day trek and supplies costing around 50,000 Nepalese rupees. Despite crossing dangerous cliffs and risking their lives, they collected only 210 pieces of yarsagumba. They sold these for about 1,000 rupees each, barely covering their expenses and making it difficult to earn even 100,000 rupees after costs. This is a stark contrast to last year, when his family earned around 350,000 rupees.

Neighboring collector Padam Bahadur Budha faced similar disappointment. He and his wife invested nearly 25,000 rupees and returned with only 120 pieces after two weeks. Harsh conditions, including snow and illness, compounded their difficulties. Their earnings plummeted from about 200,000 rupees last year to just 80,000 rupees this season. With yarsagumba income insufficient, Padam Bahadur has sent his children to India for wage labor.

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Some days we couldn’t find even a single one. On good days, we collected eight or ten. We had to clear snow to make a path through steep cliffs overlooking the Karnali River just to reach the pasture. The yield was poor, and the fungus itself was small. There was no point staying longer.

Local authorities report that around 70 percent of the nearly 4,000 collectors who entered major yarsagumba pastures have already left due to the poor harvest. The municipality collected about 2.8 million rupees in entry fees, but the overall bulk price for yarsagumba is estimated to range between 1.6 million and 1.8 million rupees per kilogram this year, significantly lower than anticipated.

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They kept saying there simply wasn’t enough yarsagumba. Only about 1,000 to 1,200 collectors remain, and they are also preparing to leave.