Local Yarshagumba (Cordyceps sinensis) experts are worried that Nepal’s failure to conduct research into the heretofore unknown curative potentials of the rare medicinal herb could cost the country dear if, as expected, and much feared by Nepali botanists, China bags patent rights for Yarshagumba products. Besides the highland districts of Karnali zone in Nepal, the herb is also native to many regions of Tibet and Bhutan. So far, China enjoys a near monoply in its R&D and marketing. With the best quality Yarshagumba going for as much as $15,000 a kilo, the prospective windfall for the resource-shy Nepal could be huge.

The Singadurbar Baidyakhana has laudably taken the initiative of including the ‘Himalayan Viagra’ — a strong antidote for a range of health woes like backache, unstable lung and kidneys, asthma, impotence and debility — into some of its ayurvedic products. But little else has been done to harness the full potential of this nature’s gift to the cash-strapped country. The anti-bacterial properties of Yarchagumba are well-documented in nature. Not only does it protect itself from harmful pathogens but also shields other plants growing around from germs. Undoubtedly, China has enormous resources to carry out research in the field, but this is no excuse for Nepal to lag behind. The eventual benefits of understanding and utilising the full potential of Yarshagumba will far outweigh any cost incurred in R&D.