The season for collecting Yarsagumba, the prized Himalayan herb, has officially begun, with locals from Chhekampar heading towards the highlands. Former ward chairperson Pasang Funjo Lama informed that villagers have started moving toward the Chheke and Baju pastures since the beginning of the Nepali month of Baisakh. “This year’s Yarsagumba collection season has started, and about half of the village has already left for the highlands,” Lama said. “In the first phase, mostly young people go to clear the snow. Afterward, children and elderly villagers also join. In the third phase, the focus shifts mainly to searching for remaining Yarsagumba.”
He added that during the second phase, villagers take their domesticated animals along with them to the highlands.
Local resident Chhiring Funjo Lama shared that preparations are underway to leave the village entirely by next week. “We are planning to lock our homes and move to the highlands with our yak and cattle. For the next month, the village will remain almost empty,” he said. Only households with elderly or disabled members will leave someone behind to look after them and monitor the vacant homes.
During the Yarsagumba collection period, villagers set up temporary shelters using stone walls and tarpaulin roofs or tents in the highlands.
This year’s harvest looks promising. “Last year’s yield was good, and early reports suggest that those who have already gone this season have found a good amount,” Lama said. “The second phase usually offers the best yield, while the third phase tends to produce less.”
Yarsagumba is collected mainly from the pastures of Chhekampar and Samagaun in Gorkha district. In Samagaun, however, collection typically starts later, around the month of Jestha. Yarsagumba remains a major source of income for locals in the region. According to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP), after Dolpa and Manang, Chhekampar and Samagaun produce some of the highest quality Yarsagumba.
Local committees collect fees for access during the collection season, while MCAP collects revenues during the sale of Yarsagumba.
