Annual ‘gold rush’ for ‘Himalayan Viagra’ nears end

HALDWANI: The annual “gold rush” for Yarsagumba, a unique caterpillar fungus popularly known as “Himalayan Viagra” and found in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand, is coming to an end with the advent of the monsoon.

Yarsagumba, formed when parasitic mushroom spores infect and mummify ghost moth larva, is reported to have rich medicinal and aphrodisiac properties and is worth its weight in gold in the international market.

It looks like dried weed and is found at altitudes between 3,500 metres above sea level to 5,500 metres in the Himalayan region.

While officially the trade is run through van panchayats, most of it remains unregulated leading to the smuggling of this potent herb fetching around ₹20 lakh per kilogram in the black market.

Hoping to make good money, more villagers than ever moved out in search of the Yarsagumba when the collection season started on May 10 this year. They had spread out in the upper reaches of Nagni Dhura, Jindri, Ladi Udiyar, Phohar Udiyar, Kuku Dhung and Panchachuli Gal often crawling on all fours looking for the fungus. Yarsagumba is also found in some areas of Chamoli district. With a high number of such collectors , the haul per person has gone down.

At least two villages, Rambha and Ralam, record haul in excess of 20 kg every year. The locals are yet to compile the figures for this year.

The collected Yarsagumba is handed over to the contractors who then take it to Nepal or China through various routes to be sold in the international markets. Sources said that the contractors are offering ₹6 lakh per kilogramme to the villagers. Depending on the quality of the haul, the price may go up to ₹15 lakh.

Apart from Yarsagumba, locals also collect Chhipi, Katki, Sattu, Dhumar, Van Lasan, Kemur, Mes and Hathajodi herbs, most of which have Ayurvedic properties.