Joint patrol of CAMC for sustainable Yarsagumba harvest

By Yadu Prasad Bhatta,Manang, May 13: A joint patrol, monitoring and inspection programme has been carried out in forest and grassland areas under the Community-Managed Conservation Areas (CAMC) in Manang ahead of the Yarsagumba (caterpillar fungus) collection season.

The initiative was aimed at controlling illegal activities and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.

The monitoring was conducted in coordination with CAMC Manang and Tanki Manang. According to organisers, the teams searched for activities carried out without permission before the collection season, including traps and nets.

Two teams, comprising 10 members in total, were mobilised for the monitoring. The teams included representatives from local governments, ward offices, CAMC members, concerned agencies and local communities.

The first team inspected forest and grassland areas in Lhakhang and Khuli, while the second team monitored the Chhongkor and Thamrang areas. Participants said special attention was given to preventing possible illegal activities while assessing the condition of forests and grazing lands during the patrol.

Locals said it has become a regular practice in Manang for local authorities and conservation-related agencies to carry out joint monitoring before the start of the annual Yarsagumba collection season. They believe it has played an important role in controlling illegal collection and preventing forest destruction.

Meanwhile, our Mugu correspondent Hari Krishna Aidi reported that entry to various forest and pasture areas in upper Mugu for the collection of the valuable medicinal herb Yarsagumba will open from May 27.

Chhiring Kyapne Lama, Chairperson of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, said the decision was made in line with the municipality’s guidelines for Yarsagumba collection. 

He said people from outside the district will have to pay an entry fee of Rs. 2,500 per person, while residents of Mugu district will be charged Rs. 2,000.

He added that those entering the pasture areas illegally without paying the fee and collecting Yarsagumba secretly would face action under the municipality’s Yarsagumba collection procedures.

According to municipal officer Subash Rawal, local ward offices and youth clubs have been helping manage accommodation and other arrangements for collectors in a way that minimises harm to forests, the environment and biodiversity.

He said awareness programmes are also being conducted through health workers to educate collectors about high-altitude sickness and basic first aid.

According to Phonjuk Tamang, Yarsagumba starts sprouting in the pasturelands from March, and locals usually begin collecting it from the second week of May. As snow melts due to rising temperatures, the shoots become visible on the ground, making collection easier.

Hundreds of people from both inside and outside the district travel to Mugu’s highland pastures every year between April and June to collect Yarsagumba, local officials said.

People from Karmarong Rural Municipality, other local levels in Mugu, and neighbouring districts, including Jumla, Humla and Dailekh, also head to the highland pastures during the collection season.

Locals usually spend around one and a half months in the pasturelands collecting the fungus before returning home. Residents said last year saw a high yield of Yarsagumba, but this year production is expected to decline due to drought and reduced snowfall.

Local trader Chhiring Nurbu Lama said Yarsagumba found in Mugu’s highland pastures is sold at Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 per piece.

The District Administration Office Mugu said security personnel have been deployed in collection areas to prevent theft, robbery and other criminal activities.

Collectors usually visit around two dozen pasture areas in Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, including Sano Koiki, Thulo Koiki, Rimar, Take, Hangdang Khola and Chhapa Khola, for Yarsagumba collection.