Chinese deprived of ‘ Himalayan Viagra’

Smuggling impossible due to Ladakh standoff

19

This year, the Chinese have been deprived of a rare herb — Cordyceps Sinensis — also known as Himalayan Viagra, which cures ailments including impotence and fatigue.

Found in Uttarakhand between May and September, Covid- 19 pandemic and the ongoing tension between India and China, made smuggling the herb through Nepal to Chinese markets impossible. Studies show that about 45 per cent of Chinese men over 40 have erectile dysfunction. A concern for decades, it was at one point called a contagion.

Though the Chinese are a leading consumer of Viagra, they still rely on traditional medicine which is now a billion- dollar industry.

“They look at long- term cures instead of quick fixes. Studies have shown an increasing number of Chinese suffer from impotence,” an U t t a r a k h a n d - b a s e d researcher said.

In the international market, one kilogram of Cordyceps Sinensis ( called Keeda Jadi locally) fetches more than ` 20 lakh. China is the biggest buyer, with business of ` 150- 200 crore.

Singapore and Hong Kong are among other buyers. As the snow starts melting in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Bageshwar in May, groups flock the mountains to hunt for the herb. This year was no different.

“We picked the herbs but could not deliver due to the pandemic and the tension. This led to a shortage in China where demand is huge,” said Anup ( name changed) of Dharchula.

Like thousands in the region, he has been in the trade for a decade. The arduous trek in search of the herb has even led to deaths due to freezing temperatures and treacherous routes. The bestknown route for smuggling the herb is through Nepal, where there now is heightened vigil.

Uttarakhand tries its best to regulate the trade, but unsuccessfully. A mafia pays locals to supply the herb, as well as its transportation and sale in the black market. Officially, sale is banned in India.

“As per some estimates, Uttarakhand supplies over 400 kg of Cordyceps Sinensis in the global black market,” administration officials said, adding that it also goes to pharmaceutical companies in China and India, and is used in cancer treatment.

The yellow- brown mummified Cordyceps Sinensis is a parasitic fungus that penetrates the caterpillar of the Swift moth and bursts from it. Though it grows in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal, it has been on the decline lately due to the changing weather conditions though Chinese demand keeps increasing.