May 24, Jajarkot : It is reported that entry fee collected from Yarsa pickers in Dolpa has exceeded Rs 250 million annually.
As many as 53,000 people from Jajarkot, Rukum, Salyan, Dailekh, Kalikot, Banke and Jumla districts have so far entered Dolpa for Yarsagumba collection, said Central Region Management Committee, Tripurakot. Chairperson Tikadutta Neupane.
Two types of entry fee have been set for Yarsa pickers, he said, adding it is Rs 2,000 for district people and Rs 3,000 for those from other districts.
Likewise, it is learnt that Rs 10,000 is being collected from each person entering the Bhot area. Yarsa is found in more than 40 different sites of Dolpa district.
Number of people visiting Dolpa so far has reached 53,000 but the score will exceed 100,000 at the end of the season, said the committee.
Yarsa collection is the mainstay of the locals of the region. Because of good income prospects in short period, there is increasing interest of people to collect and supply Yarsa – a high-value medicinal plant, said Dolpa-based journalist Rajendra Neupane.
There is no up-to-date official record of the people entering the Yarsa picking area. Similarly, people also do not know where does the money collected from Yarsa pickers is being spent, said the local journalists. RSS
