Nepal’s Yarsagumba exports have declined by 72 percent compared to the first six months of the previous fiscal year. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal had exported 1,169 kg of Yarsagumba worth Rs 584.15 million by mid-January 2024 in the last fiscal year. However, by mid-January 2025 in the current FY, exports had fallen to just 420 kg, amounting to Rs 163.36 million in value.
Yarsagumba, a rare Himalayan herb, is exported from Nepal to more than a dozen countries, including Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, the US, China, Malaysia, France, Italy, Germany, and South Korea. However, collectors and traders report a decline in production, which has impacted exports.
Raj Bahadur Budha from Dolpa, who has been collecting Yarsagumba for about a decade, noted that availability has significantly decreased in recent years. "I think it it growing less than before. It's becoming difficult to find Yarsagumba like we used to. Even those who collected 40 or 50 pieces a day now struggle to find six or seven," he said.
Despite the current decline, customs data show that Yarsagumba exports had been steadily increasing from fiscal year 2020/21 to 2023/24. The herb is considered the most valuable among Nepal’s more than 700 medicinal plants. It is found in the highlands of 25 districts, including Dolpa, Darchula, Jumla, Humla, Mugu, Kalikot, Bajhang, Bajura, Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa, Baglung, Myagdi, Mustang, Manang, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, and Taplejung.
A study published by Nepal Rastra Bank in 2015 highlighted Yarsagumba’s significant role in boosting the incomes of poor and marginalized communities in the Himalayan and high-hill regions. The study also noted its contribution to employment creation and economic activities, including tourism, hospitality, and banking services. "It has played a positive role in monetizing economic activities in Nepal's Himalayan region," the report stated.
Scientifically known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis , Yarsagumba is a highly valued medicinal herb used in treatments for energy enhancement, anemia, lung infections, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and kidney and liver diseases. It is found at altitudes ranging from 3,500 to 5,500 meters above sea level.
China remains the primary market for Yarsagumba, though it is also traded in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, the UK, and the US. Nepal is the second-largest supplier of Yarsagumba globally, after China, which accounts for 95 percent of the global supply. The herb is also found in India and Bhutan.
Unlike commercially cultivated herbs, Yarsagumba is naturally collected from high-altitude grasslands in Nepal. While it is found in 25 districts, large-scale commercial collection takes place in only 12 districts, according to a study. Of the approximately 500 species of Yarsagumba identified worldwide, 11 species were recorded in Nepal as of 2015.
