Surkhet, May 3 -- The highland pastures of Karnali province are set to open for the annual yarsagumba picking season in the final week of May. The high-value caterpillar fungus, prized for its purported medicinal as well as aphrodisiac properties, is mainly found in Mugu, Dolpa, Jumla, and the neighbouring district of Rukum East.

For the local residents, the commencement of the harvest season represents the most significant economic event of the year. However, the excitement of the 'Himalayan gold rush' is increasingly tempered by a sobering reality-a steady decline in yields and the growing risks faced by those who venture into the treacherous high altitude terrain.

In the years preceding the Covid pandemic, the pastures typically open...