Mountain herb known as Himalayan Viagra being overharvested in Nepal, warn biologists

VANCOUVER DESI

An image of Yarsagumba, also known as the Himalayan Viagra. Submitted photo/Travel & Tour Nepal

Maintaining yields of Yarsagumba, commonly known as the “Himalayan Viagra,” is proving to be a stiff challenge in Nepal, conservationists are warning.

Overharvesting of the caterpillar fungus, thought to be the most expensive medicinal fungus in the world, is responsible for the decline in supply, microbiologist Sudip Dhakal told Xinhua in an interview Thursday.

According to Dhakal, high prices and demand from around the globe have led to the herb, which can be found in Nepal as well as other countries along the Himalayas like China, India and Bhutan, being picked before it reaches the stage of reproductive maturity, thereby providing it no chance to disperse its spores.

“This is a very expensive medicinal fungus, which is only found between the altitudes of 3,000 to 5,000 metres above sea level. But still, its unbeatable demand and high price have tempted harvesters even in harsh weather conditions,” Dhakal said.

Yarsagumba can be priced as high as $150 per gram in Nepal and is often exported to the West for both the boost it can provide to the libido as well as for treating medical conditions like cancer and asthma.

Nepal’s Dolpa district is home to the almost half of Yarsagumba investors of Nepal.

According a research by U.S. biologist Uttam Shrestha, Yarsagumba trade in the Nepalese district of DOlpa fell by 50 per cent in 2011 compared to 2009.

Shrestha has pegged the global market of the precious fungi at approximately $11 billion every year.

Tags: Nepal, Viagra, Yarsagumba