Himalayan News Service
BAJHANG: A bitter dispute over the price of Yarsagumba has stalled the trade in the precious herb here.
Yarsa collectors like Gyane Bohara have doubled the price of the herb this year, accusing the traders of selling it at exorbitant rates.
“We increased Yarsa price this year upon learning that traders were selling the herb at exorbitant rates,’’ Bohara says. On their part, traders like Jagat Tamang say they cannot pay exorbitant prices—five to six lakh rupees for every kg of the herb against last year’s 3 to 3.5 lakhs—as Yarsa price has not increased in major markets like Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Kailali, India and Tibet.
“We cannot trade in the herb incurring a loss,’’ says Tamang, calling on the collectors not to increase the price haphazardly.
The standoff between the herb collectors and the traders has resulted in dismal revenue collection, according to Karna Bahadadur Khati, a staffer at the District Forest Office (For every kg of the herb collected, the forest office collects Rs 10,000 in revenue).
The DFO has managed to collect revenue of 14 kg Yarsa this year, says Khati, while the forest office estimates that about two quintals of Yarsa has been collected in the district this year.
