Locals leave for highlands in search of Yarshagumba

By Netra Shahi,Jumla, May 22: With the arrival of mid-May, people have started heading towards the highlands for the annual collection of Yarshagumba, highly priced caterpillar fungi, for their medicinal value.

Locals from various municipalities including Patarasi Rural Municipality and Guthichaur Rural Municipality of Jumla have begun their journey to the highlands. 

Jang Bahadur Aidi of Gadi village, Patarasi Rural Municipality-1, said he has now gone to the highlands to collect the precious herb Yarshagumba.

Aidi informed that he left home a week ago to collect the medicinal herb. He mentioned that he was forced to collect Yarshagumba due a lack of employment opportunities within the village. 

He said that if the collection of this highly priced herb goes well, it become relatively easy to manage the expenses for an entire year. 

“Thousands of young men and women from Patarasi Rural Municipality have been collecting Yarshagumba in the highlands,” said Aidi. Along with him, hundreds of youth have now headed towards the highlands to collect Yarshagumba. 

“Yarsagumba is our primary source of income. If we work hard for two months in the highlands, we don’t need to migrate to Kalapahad for work,” he said.

Yarsagumba has become the main source of livelihood for the locals of Patarasi Rural Municipality.

According to ward chairman Lal Singh Aidi of Patarasi–1, medicinal herbs are the key means of survival for locals, which is why they head to the highlands each year.

He added that young people from wards 1 to 7 have already left for the mountains to collect the herb.

“Agricultural production alone cannot sustain families round the year. From covering household expenses to paying school fees and buying clothes, collecting Yarsagumba has become the only option,” Chairperson Aidi explained.

“Most men head to the highlands, leaving women to handle all household chores like farming maize, potatoes, millet and wheat, along with other domestic work. During this time, women also take charge of community development activities,” said locals.

From the start of the month of Jestha, people from the Patarasi region, including young men and women, the elderly and even those carrying children, can be seen making their way to the highlands for nearly two months. 

They carry essentials like bedding, lentils, rice, salt, and oil. Locals say that even students have gone to the highlands, causing school attendance to drop during this season.

Since most people leave the village in this season, it becomes hard to find anyone in the village to take care for the sick or even to attend funerals if anyone dies. 

According to Shobha Bohora of Patarasi Rural Municipality–3, “For some, collecting Yarsagumba is a choice, but for others, it’s a necessity.” 

She added that Yarsagumba is the main source of income for the area, and with no jobs available in the village, many are forced to risk their lives and head to the highlands with their families to earn a living.

This medicinal fungus is used to cure anemia, chest and lung infections, tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and kidney and liver diseases.