Chutro and Gurjo herbs becoming good source of income for Karnali farmers

By Rajani Yogi, Surkhet, May 28: Berberis aristata and Tinospora cordifolia, locally known as Chutro and Gurjo, have become a good source of income for the locals as the fruit and shrub known for their medicinal quality have found a new market.

Farmers are now busy in collecting the Chutro and Gurjo which are found in jungles and around the home as well because a processing center has been established in Surkhet where farmers can sell their collection.

A Chinese company, Yuvyan Biotechnology, has operated a collection center for these herbs at Kharayochaur in Gurbhakot Municipality-10 where the company buys Chutro stem and root at Rs. 55 a kg while that of Gurjo at Rs. 25 per kg.

Three Chinese and 60 Nepalis are working in the processing center stretched in 55 ropanis of land leased for the purpose.

Chhatra Thapa, a local at Guras Rural Municipality-3, said the farmers were pleased for they can make a good income in a little labour and investment because Chutro is found in their own farmland area.

Hari Kumar Shrestha, manager of the collection company, informed that the company processed the Chutro and Gurjo collected from 10 districts of Karnali and then sent to China.

It has been three months since the company started its operation. Although Chutro collection is easy, collecting Gurjo takes much time so the locals are thinking about expanding Gurjo cultivation in a commercial way.   

Stakeholders have, however, protested as the number of people going to the jungles and collecting herbal plants such as Chutro and Gurjo.

Division forest office, Surkhet, has said its attention has been drawn to the issue.

Lately, people have stopped going to the community forest for collecting herbs but collecting them form their private jungles.

Ajit Kumar Karna, secretary of the Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Ministry of the Karnali provincial government, said that Chutro and Gurjo were not banned herbs for sale and they could be sold and distributed as the per the laws.

Padam Lal Sapkota, director at the industry and consumer interest conservation directorate, Surkhet, viewed that it should be encouraged the way farmer are collecting and selling local herbs for income, and that the opening of the company and collection of herbs has created a source of income for the Karnali farmers.