Herb collectors say that Karnali will only become economically strong if arrangements are made for the processing, labeling, and packaging of herbs.
What you should know
Due to the lack of processing industries, the residents of Karnali are forced to sell their valuable herbs at low prices. They complain that they are suffering because they have to sell the herbs they have collected with great effort at low prices.
Local herbalist Hemraj Bohora says that if there was a processing industry, the raw materials would have to be exported. ‘Currently, the herbs brought from the forest are not getting any value if they are exported without processing,’ he said. ‘There is no government attention to the herbs of Karnali.’
Currently, Karnali is selling 79 types of herbs found in Patan. Herbs are abundant in Patan in Jumla, Dolpa, Humla, Mugu and Jajarkot. Jumla alone sells 22 types of herbs, including yarcha and gucci mushrooms. ‘Karnali has neither an herbal processing industry nor a good market,’ Bohora said. ‘We have to deliver herbs to the doorsteps of big traders at a pittance.’ He said that Karnali will be economically strong only if arrangements are made for the processing, labeling and packaging of herbs.
Local Om Bahadur Budha said that it is very painful to sell the herbs collected at a low price after risking his life. He said, ‘We collect herbs without worrying about the hills, mountains, and cold, and traders pick them up from the village at a paltry price. We are the ones who are suffering the most.’
According to the data of the Division Forest Office, 1,277 tons of herbs have been exported outside the district in the last 6 years. But the revenue collected according to the export data is not being collected. Out of these 6 years, the highest number of herbs has been exported in the current fiscal year. Bharat Bahadur Budhapa, head of the Division Forest Office, said that 21 kg of yarcha has been exported this year. According to him, 450 kg of attis, 250 kg of amalved, 2070 kg of kaladana, 364 kg of kutki, 22 thousand kg of chutro, 21 thousand kg of jatamasi, 4 thousand kg of titepati, and 200 kg of dhatelo have been exported.
The highest amount of Dhutipan has been exported at 268 tons. Chief Budthapa informed that 25 different types of herbs have been exported, including Sunpati 57 thousand, Banalasun 450, Shilajit 1100, Padamachal 1210. This year, a revenue of Rs 38 lakh 55 thousand 565 has been collected from herb exports.
Currently, the local herbs are going to India and China. Herb collectors of Karnali have said that the government should emphasize on the conservation, systematic collection, appropriate price and marketing of herbs. ‘There is neither government incentive, nor appropriate price,’ said Ranabahur Rokaya of Jumla Sinja, ‘Herbs are sold at the price of a cow. The collectors’ hard work is being wasted. .’
So far, 407 tons of herbs have been exported from the district in the fiscal year 2082/83. There are problems in Karnali such as lack of uniformity in the price of herbs, lack of data on farmers' income, and collectors not receiving money on time when they purchase and transport herbs on credit. The forest office has collected 33.2 million rupees in revenue in 6 years under the heading of herb export and timber auction.
