Ban on yarsagumba collection worries Karnali residents

Authorities have prohibited people from picking the precious fungus in light of the second wave of the pandemic that has gripped the country.

Under normal circumstances, Ram Bahadur Singh of Nayakbada in Barekot Rural Municipality, Jajarkot, would be busy collecting yarsagumba in the highlands of Dolpa district at this time of the year. But with Covid-19 restrictions in place, he may not be able to collect yarsa, the caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis), this season.