It's caterpillar cocktail time

India’s Himalayan states, better known for their spectacular scenic beauty and disputed borders with China, could play an important role in next month’s Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. A caterpillar fungus, Yarchagumba, which grows in the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is being smuggled into China where it is believed to bestow athletes with remarkable boosts of strength and speed.

The fungus, Yarchagumba or Cordyceps sinesis grows on caterpillars of the Hepilus frabricius moth. The caterpillar is found on the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000-5,000 meters. Besides the Indian Himalayas, it is also found in Bhutan, Tibet and China’s Qinghai province.

Yarchagumba’s reputed revitalizing qualities have made it a key ingredient in Tibetan and Chinese medicine for over 1,500 years. Tibetan villagers add it to their soups and teas to boost stamina and endurance and improve lung capacity, kidney function and sexual performance.

Less than 20 years ago the fungus captured the world’s attention. In August 1993, at the Stuttgart World Championships, a team of unknown peasant women from China’s northeastern Liaoning province stunned the world with their spectacular feats in track and field events. They swept all three medals in the 3,000 meters and took gold and silver in the 10,000 meters.

A month later, at the Chinese national championships, they shattered several world records. Wang Junxia, who won the gold in the 10,000 meters at Stuttgart, took the gold in the 3,000 and 10,000 meters and set three world records in three races. Wang’s time of 29:31:78 in the 10,000 meters was the first sub-30 minute performance ever by a woman, beating the former record by a staggering 42 seconds.

Ma Junren, the runners’ controversial coach, denied allegations that their eye-popping achievements were fueled by banned drugs. Ma attributed their speed and stamina to grueling training over tough terrain at high altitude. He also mentioned a certain cocktail made of turtle’s blood and caterpillar fungus.

But Ma’s methods soon came under a cocoon of controversy. Sixteen of the 19 runners, led by Wang, walked out on him over differences over prize money and excessive discipline, protesting against his training techniques and alleged abuse of athletes.

His athletes were also testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The most damning evidence came before the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, when Chinese authorities pulled 27 athletes from their respective teams after they failed doping tests. Six were runners coached by Ma, implying that his runners’ speed had more to do with steroids than ingesting insect fungus.

Ma was swarmed with controversy, but the fungus he made famous continues to have a fan following.

Demand for Yarchagumba has leapt over the past 15 years, especially since 2003 when the SARS epidemic swept Asia. The fungus was in demand at the time for its reported ability to improve immunity. Its street value soared; in 2005 it was selling for US$7,000 per kilogram.

The escalating price tag triggered something of a “fungus rush” in the Himalayas. Schools closed and villages emptied as hundreds trooped out in search of the lucrative fungus. Yarchagumba brought sudden and immense prosperity to those in the trade. Then came the poachers: Bhutanese and Nepalese villagers claimed that Tibetan interlopers were nibbling away at their profits. Over the past year, the demand for the fungus reached new highs. In 2007, it cost around $9,000 per kg. Now it sells for between $16,500 and $23,000 per kg.

There is no hard evidence that the spurt in demand and prices is connected to the onset of the Beijing Olympics, but smuggling has notably increased. The Olympics have revived memories of the spectacular performances of Chinese athletes in the 1990s and with nostalgia has come a renewed interest in the now legendary Yarchagumba.

Indian newsmagazine Outlook reported that in July alone two attempts at smuggling the fungus were foiled. In the first, a soldier of Assam Rifles, a paramilitary unit, was caught with 500 grams of caterpillar fungus and several hundreds of thousands of rupees in Bageshwar in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The other incident was in Sikkim, where three smugglers were caught with 17 kg of the fungus.

Profits from the fungus have financed insurgencies, incited murders and prompted neighboring villages to go to war. Nepal’s Maoists controlled the caterpillar fungus trade in the Dolpa district, which accounts for over half of Nepal’s fungus supply. At least two recent murders in Uttarakhand have been attributed to quarrels over the fungus trade.

And in July last year, a dispute over caterpillar-picking rights triggered an armed clash in China’s Tibetan-dominated Dabba county in Sichuan province. Six people were killed and over a hundred injured.

Will the 2008 Olympics see athletes reaching out for Ma’s famous caterpillar fungus cocktail? Will victorious Chinese athletes thank the humble highland fungus for their achievements?

Asian athletes recovering from injuries sometimes digest deer’s penis, or turn to turtle blood to improve blood circulation. Others devour animal feet to strengthen their legs. But Chinese sports authorities, anxious to avoid embarrassing doping scandals, are warning Olympians off traditional remedies because some contain banned substances like as herbal ephedrine.

But some athletes are still likely to seek the purported properties of traditional medicine. And as long as they seek the elusive elixirs of athleticism, neither the turtles nor the fungus will be able to breathe easily.

YARCHAGUMBA TEA

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The uniqueness of this product lies in the inclusion of Yarchagumba (Cordyceps sinensis) and Shilajit (Asphaltum). Because of its significant health benefits and its rarity, Yarchagumba, which is also known as “Jeeban Buti” in Nepal, is a very expensive herb.
A
Cordyceps sinensis is one of the most valuable medicinal herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, this herb has an extensive history of use in the treatment of mental and physical exhaustion and is often used as a rejuvenative for increased energy while recovering from serious illness. It is also known to be used regularly in treatment of patients with leukemia, heart, liver and kidney problems. Additionally, it is known to strengthen the immune system and is used as treatment against respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, cough and lung infections. It is believed to be highly effective against impotence and is extensively used in China as an aphrodisiac. It is also known to relieve pain and be effective in the treatment of arthritis, spasms and cramps. It is believed that the herb is known to help reduce cholesterol levels in the body and assists in digestion and to improve appetite.
A
Shilajit is Ayurveda’s gift to mankind. Shilajit is also known to provide some of the most important therapeutic effects of Cordyceps sinensis. Shilajit is widely used as a natural health tonic; it stimulates the immune system and is used in the treatment of asthma, jaundice, obesity, and sexual debility, among others.
INGREDIENTS

Chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla)

Cordyceps/Yarchagumba (Cordyceps sinensis)

Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum tamala)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Gurjo/Tinospora Guluncha (Tinospora cordifolia)

Lemongrass (Cymbopon flexuosus)

Mint leaf (Mentha arvensis)

Mulberry leaf (Morus alba)

Shilajit – Purified (Asphaltum)
HEALTH BENEFITS
Yarchagumba Tea is a unique blend of time-honored natural ingredients such as Cordyceps sinensis, guduchi, ginger, lemongrass, mulberry leaves, chamomile flowers, mint leaves, cinnamon leaves and purified Shilajit. The natural ingredients in this product impart unique properties to it, making it very useful as a health tonic for the following reasons:

It is known to provide energy and vitality thereby increasing physical performance and

endurance of the body.

It assists in reducing chronic fatigue, refreshing the mind, sharpening the memory and

enhancing one's ability to handle stress.

It helps strengthen the immune system and provide relief from cough and cold.

It can help relieve indigestion and improve appetite.

It can be of help in reducing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol levels.

It is known to be useful in the treatment of nausea, asthma, dysentery, and skin

disease.

It is known to provide relief from chronic rheumatic pain and arthritis.

It is known to act as an anti-aging product by stimulating hormone production.
PACK SIZE
Yarchagumba Tea is available in box containing 25 tea tags.
USAGE
We recommend two cups a day. Use one tea bag per cup. Consume daily. Regular consumption of this unique health drink is essential to experience its health benefits.
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
Yarchagumba Tea is currently available in all major urban areas in Nepal. Efforts are underway to establish distribution networks in Japan and Malaysia. We welcome enquiries regarding the import our products in other countries.
Yarchagumba and Yarchagumba Tea are registered trade marks of Everest Herbs Processing (Pvt.) Ltd.
a
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided purely for informational purposes only, and does not in any way purport to be medical or prescriptive suggestions. Any reference to medicinal or health benefits is not meant to treat or diagnose any problem and is not meant to replace professional medical advice and should not take the place of any prescribed medication that has been prescribed by a physician.

The Yarchagumba: Half-Herb and half-insect

An insect that grows a plant from the top of its head and is said to have medicinal powers that can cure cancer. Cordyceps Sinesis is a fungus locally called yarchagumba, known for its high value in the traditional medicine market. It is used in Chinese herbal medicine and is said to be good for everything ranging from headaches, stomach aches, respiratory diseases, arresting bleeding, dispelling phlegm to curing impotency.

Yarchagumba is special to Nepal. North-western regions of Dolpo and Humla, where it is found, is going through a gold rush of some sort as schools close because even students go hunting for this strange living thing.


Every year, after the snow starts to melt in May, herb hunters scour the sub-alpine region (a high-altitude grassland located below the treeline of a mountain) looking for yarchagumba. They grow at altitudes of 3,300-4,500m. The word yarchagumba means 'herb of life' in the local lingo while Tibetans interpret it as 'summer grass, winter insect'.

What is known as the herb of life is ironically a rare species of parasitic lichen Cordyceps Sinesis. Spores of the fungus land on the heads of caterpillars of the moth Hepilus fabricius. The fungus thrives on the larvae that lives underground tapping on its energy and eventually killing it. This results in the legendary yarchagumba.


Until recently, collecting yarchagumba was illegal but this changed once the government realised it could earn a lucrative amount from the trade while providing relief to the mountain people by allowing them to collect the herb. The government now charges Rs 20,000 per kilo from businessmen for a permit while the Maoists who control the area take a cut of Rs 5,000 per kilo directly from the collectors. A kilo of yarchagumba (around 3,500 pieces) today fetches anywhere between $2,000-2,500 from Tibetan and Chinese traders. Depending on quality and size of the product, middlemen sell it by the sackload in Thailand, Korea, China and Japan for $2,800 per kg.

And, as is usually the case with natural resources, products based on the herb have already hit the market and caused a hankering for health goods. Yarchagumba tea manufactured by Everest Herbs sell for Rs 350 a box (25 packets) and is available in local department stores.

Yarchagumba - Improve Your Health

he Cordyceps is a rare species of plant widely used both in clinical medicine and as a household remedy. It is also considered potent at strengthening lung and kidneys, increasing energy and vitality, stopping hemorrhage, decreasing phlegm, and as an overall tonic.
The Cordyceps sinesis, a combination of insect and plant remains inactive in winter and comes out in summer. Of the two types, the black one is more expensive than the white.
In Nepal Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinesis) locally called as "Yarchagumba" which is an insect parasite fungus having high commercial demand as tonic/aphrodisiac. Cordyceps is found in subalpine pasture lands of Nepal including Jumla and Dolpa area belonging to Karnali zone. Yarchagumba, which means (herb of life), is actually a lichen which grows on the body of a larva, is found on the high hills of Dolpo and this is collected during the spring and early summer when the snow melt and lichens sprout out on the hills. Yarchagumba is found at 14,000 feet (about 4,300m) and above.

Yarchagumba - Fortune from a fungas

There's gold in them hills.... It's a power drug in China and grows on a caterpillar.

* The demand for Yarchagumba, a fungus that grows on a caterpillar and is found in the Himalayan states, has suddenly gone up in China
* Some in the trade suspect this is because of the Olympics. Prices have hit Rs 7-10 lakh per kg.
* Villagers in Himalayan states are often found collecting it illegally from protected reserves
* The trade in Yarchagumba is harming the fragile habitat in the upper reaches, prompting wildlife experts to call for regulation

Improbable though it may sound, an exotic fungus has triggered a gold rush of sorts in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Considered a performance enhancer, Yarchagumba is a much-sought-after ingredient in traditional medicine in China. But some trade observers suspect that the Beijing Olympics has pushed prices to a never-before high this year. In 2007 a kilogram of the fungus sold for about Rs 4 lakh, but prices could now crest anywhere between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.

Given the high value associated with this fungus, over-exploitation and smuggling has become rampant and menacing. In the past two weeks, there have been at least two foiled instances of smuggling of the fungus. The first one involved an Assam Rifles jawan who was reportedly caught with a few lakh of rupees and about 500 grams of the fungus in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. The second incident took place in Sikkim, where three smugglers were nabbed by the state forest department on July 2 with 17 kg of the fungus on them. In the past two years, there have also been two murders in Uttarakhand that some claim were linked to the trade in the fungus.

Yarchagumba, scientifically known as Cordyceps sinesis, grows on caterpillars of the Hepilus fabricius moth. Spores of the fungus grow inside the caterpillar and produce a stalked structure that grows outward from its body. The collection season usually begins with the onset of spring and lasts a few weeks. In India, it is found in the Himalayan stretches at an altitude of about 3,500 metres. The fungus contains proteins, peptides, essential amino acids, and Vitamins B1, B2 and B12, among other nutrients.

Most of the harvest is exported illegally to Nepal to be sent onward to China. While some have speculated about a link between the present surge in the trade this season and the forthcoming Beijing Olympics, there is no hard evidence yet to back that claim. That may, however, be a possibility as the fungus's popularity first soared after the 1993 World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, when Chinese female athletes shocked the world by smashing records in several track and field events. Their coach, Ma Zunren, gave part of the credit to a tonic containing the fungus.

The potential of Yarchagumba has not, however, received much official attention yet. "We are trying to grow it artificially on grain and come up with a processed form that may be used by Indian drug companies," says A.N. Shukla, head of forest pathology at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

Meanwhile, every spring villages in the hills empty themselves as the able-bodied set out for the meadows in search of the fungus. This unregulated exploitation poses a major threat to the fragile ecosystem of alpine meadows that are known for their exuberant but short-lived burst of plant life during summers. The habitat shelters endangered animals like the musk deer, snow leopard and Himalayan brown bear, besides several protected species of flora. All this may be in danger if the collection of the caterpillar fungus is not checked.

For, during collection, hundreds of people often camp together. Besides digging and trampling, these people also end up using wood from trees such as rhododendrons and junipers as firewood. About 500 pieces of the caterpillar fungus can be found in a hectare and it takes about 4,000 to make a kilogram. "To collect them people go to extremes. This is likely to have a heavy impact because the ecosystem is generally not subject to such intense exploitation over a short period," says Samir Sinha, head of traffic at WWF, which monitors wildlife trade. The money that comes from the fungus is also believed to sustain trafficking in protected species. "There are growing reports of this link from various agencies," he adds.

The trade in this fungus is also beginning to have a far-reaching social impact in the regions where it grows. Awash with money from selling the fungus, people have turned super-rich overnight in some hill towns. "Suddenly you see guys zipping around on bikes," says Chandra Singh Negi, a zoology lecturer at the Government Graduate College in Pithoragarh, a hotbed of the trade. "And during the collection season school attendance drops by as much as 80 per cent in some schools." The keen eyesight of the young helps in finding the fungus strands camouflaged in the grass.

Aware of the risks posed by such an untrammelled exploitation, the Uttarakhand government now authorises only certain panchayats to collect Yarchagumba. The harvest is then handed over to either the Van Nigam or the Kumaon Vikas Mandal Nigam for trading. "That has helped control the problem of social conflicts but one cannot stop illegal collection or smuggling completely in this terrain," says Ram Gopal, the district forest officer from Pithoragarh.

The problem, Sinha explains, is that the caterpillar fungus is not as yet protected under any Indian or international wildlife legislation. "Which means there is no effective barrier against its collection or trade. The law is very ambiguous on Yarchagumba. The only way to penalise somebody presently for collecting the fungus is if it's carried out of a protected area," he says. "What is needed is a framework that allows the locals to benefit without harming the environment." For that, the state governments have to first formulate an action plan to regulate the trade.

Yarchagumba-The Gold Rush

Yarsagumba with its Latin name cordyceps sinesis literally means summer plant and winter insect in Tibetan. Before the rainy season begins, spores of the cordyceps mushroom settle on the heads of caterpillars’ that lives underground. The fungus gets so much into the body of the caterpillars’ that it grows out through its head and drains all the energy from the insect and ultimately it dies.

arsagumba, Yarshagumba or Yarchagumba is a rare and unique herb that grows in the meadows above 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) in the Himalayan region of Nepal. There are various types of famous medicinal plants found in Nepal but the popularity of yarsagumba is simply overwhelming. For the last couple of years, the trade of yarsagumba is increasing and it has been regarded as an expensive life saving tonic. Headache, toothache or any other disease - yarsagumba is the remedy. And not only that, it is also believed to be a cure for sexual impotency – a Himalayan Herbal Viagra.


Every year during May and June, thousands of villagers from remote areas risking their own lives head for high mountains to collect yarsagumba. It is estimated that one villager can earn up to Rs. 2,500 approximately to $35 a day by collecting yarsagumba which is beyond the monthly salary of many Nepalese households. Dolpa – a remote district in western Nepal with high steep valleys and dry climate is one of the foremost areas for collecting yarsagumba. Almost 50% of the annual supply of yarsagumba comes from Dolpa alone. Here, not only the adults but school goers also take unofficial holidays in search of the gold rush.

Collection of yarsagumba was illegal until 2001 but following its popularity and the lobbying from various organizations, the Government lifted the ban but imposed a royalty rate of Rs. 20,000 (US$ 280) per kilogram (2.2lbs). One kilo of yarsagumba that costs about Rs. 315 (US$ 5/6) in 1992 increased to Rs. 105,000 (US$ 1,435) by the year 2002 and the price has been shooting up so as the international interest on the mysterious half-caterpillar-half-mushroom known as yarsagumba.

Yarchabumba

There are over 680 documented species of the sac fungus genus Cordyceps, and one of the most well known of these is the Cordyceps sinensis, colloquially known as caterpillar fungus. The scientific name's etymology is from the Latin cord "club", ceps "head", and sinensis "from China". The fungus is known in Tibetan as yartsa gunbu or yatsa gunbu.

Caterpillar fungi are the result of a parasitic relationship between the fungus and the larva of the ghost moth genus Thitarodes, several species of which live on the Tibetan Plateau (Tibet, Qinghai, West-Sichuan, SW-Gansu & NW Yunnan, all in China, and the Himalayas India, Nepal, Bhutan). The fungus germinates in living organisms (in some cases the larvae), kills and mummifies the insect, and then the cordyceps grows from the body of the insect. It is known in the West as a medicinal mushroom and its use has a long history in Traditional Chinese medicine as well as Traditional Tibetan medicine.[1]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Names
* 2 Natural history
* 3 Use in Medicine
o 3.1 Traditional Asian medicines
o 3.2 Caterpillar fungus research
o 3.3 Caterpillar fungus's introduction to the world
* 4 Economics and impact
* 5 Gallery
* 6 See also
* 7 Notes
* 8 References
* 9 External links

[edit] Names

In Tibetan it is known as དབྱར་རྩྭ་དགུན་འབུ་ yartsa gunbu [Wylie: dbyar rtswa dgun 'bu, "summer herb winter worm"], which is the source of the Nepali यार्शागुम्बा, yarshagumba, yarchagumba. The transliteration in Bhutan is Yartsa Guenboob. It is also known as keera jhar or keeda ghas in India. Its name in Chinese dong chong xia cao (冬虫夏草) means "winter worm, summer grass" (i.e., "worm in the winter, [turns to] plant in the summer"). The Chinese name is a literal translation of the original Tibetan name, which was first recorded in the 15th Century by the Tibetan doctor Zurkhar Namnyi Dorje (Wylie: Zur mkhar mnyam nyid rdo rje’s [1439-1475]) in his text: Man ngag bye ba ring bsrel ("Instructions on a Myriad of Medicines"). A translation is available at Winkler [2] In traditional Chinese medicine, its name is often abbreviated as chong cao, a name that also applies to other Cordyceps species, such as C. militaris.

Strangely, sometimes in Chinese English language text Cordyceps sinensis is referred to as aweto, which is the Māori name for Cordyceps robertsii, a species from New Zealand. In Japanese it is known as tōchūkasō.

The English term "vegetable caterpillar" is a misnomer. Caterpillar fungus is a preferable term.
[edit] Natural history

The "caterpillar" [technically it is a larva, since it is hairless] prone to infection by the fungus lives underground in alpine grass and shrublands on the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas at an altitude between 3,000 and 5,000 m (9,800 and 16,000 ft). Spending up to five years underground before pupating, the caterpillar is attacked while feeding on roots. The fungus invades the body of the Thitarodes caterpillars, filling its entire body cavity with mycelium and eventually killing and mummifying it. The caterpillars die near the tops of their burrows. The dark brown to black fruiting body (or mushroom) emerges from the ground in spring or early summer, always growing out of the forehead of the caterpillar. The long, usually columnar fruiting body reaches 5–15 cm above the surface and releases spores.

In Nepal caterpillar fungus is found on the subalpine pastures in Dolpo in Karnali Zone and Darchula in Mahakali zone. It is also common in Bhutan and India's Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand Himalayas. Reports of distribution outside of "High Asia" are erroneous and relate to other species of Cordyceps, e.g. Cordyceps militaris.

It is not certain how the fungus infects the caterpillar; possibly by ingestion of a fungal spore or by the fungus mycelium invading the insect through one of its breathing pores.
[edit] Use in Medicine
[edit] Traditional Asian medicines
Weighing the precious Caterpillar fungus in Yushu, Southern Qinghai, China, July 2009. (Photo by Italian writer Mario Biondi)

The first mention of Cordyceps sinensis in traditional Chinese Medicine was in Wang Ang’s 1694 compendium of material medica, Ben Cao Bei Yao.[3] In the 18th Century it was listed in Wu Yiluo's Ben cao cong xin (“New compilation of materia medica”).[4]

The entire fungus-caterpillar combination is hand-collected for medicinal use.

The fungus is a medicinal mushroom which is highly prized by practitioners of Tibetan medicine, Chinese medicine and traditional herbal Folk medicines, in which it is used as an aphrodisiac and as a treatment for a variety of ailments from fatigue to cancer. It is regarded as having an excellent balance of yin and yang as it is apparently both animal and vegetable (though it is in actuality not vegetable, but fungi). Assays have found that Cordyceps species produce many pharmacologically active substances. They are now cultivated on an industrial scale for their medicinal value.

According to Bensky et al. (2004), laboratory-grown C. sinensis mycelium has similar clinical efficacy and less associated toxicity. He notes a toxicity case of constipation, abdominal distension, and decreased peristalsis, two cases of irregular menstruation, and one case report of amenorrhea following ingestion of tablets or capsules containing C. sinensis. In Chinese medicine C. sinensis is considered sweet and warm, entering the Lung and Kidney channels; the typical dosage is 3–9 grams.[5]
[edit] Caterpillar fungus research
Cordycepin a compound isolated from the "Caterpillar fungus".

Some work has been published in which Cordyceps sinensis has been used to protect the bone marrow and digestive systems of mice from whole body irradiation.[6] An experiment noted Cordyceps sinensis may protect the liver from damage.[7] An experiment with mice noted the mushroom may have an anti-depressant effect.[8] Researchers have noted that the Caterpillar fungus has a hypoglycemic effect and may be beneficial for people with insulin resistance.[9][10][11][12][13]
[edit] Caterpillar fungus's introduction to the world

Outside of the East, the world was largely unaware of cordyceps. This changed, when the fungus caught the world's attention due to three female Chinese athletes, Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia, and Zhang Linli. These athletes broke 5 world records for 1,500, 3,000 and 10,000 meters in 1993 at the National Games in Beijing, China. The amount of new world records being set at a single track event caused much attention and suspicion. Following the races, the woman were expected by some, to fail drug tests for anabolic steroids. However, the athletes' tests revealed no illegal substances, and coach Ma Junren told the reporters that the runners were taking Cordyceps sinensis and turtle blood at his request. However for the Sydney Olympics, Ma Junren withdrew some of his athletes last minute. It was speculated that a new doping test would have revealed illegal doping, thus half a dozen Chinese field and track athletes were left home.
[edit] Economics and impact
Many shops in downtown Lanzhou advertise Dong chong xia cao (冬虫夏草) among other local specialties

In Tibet, yartsa gunbu has developed to become the most important source of cash income in rural Tibet contributing 40% of the annual cash income to local households and 8.5% to the GDP in 2004. Prices have increased continuously, especially since the late 1990s. In 2008, one kilogram traded for US$3,000 (lowest quality) to over US$18,000 (best quality equalling the largest larvae). The annual production on the Tibetan Plateau is estimated at 100–200 tons[vague].[3] The Himlayan Cordyceps production might not exceed a few tons.

Its value gave it a role in the Nepalese Civil War, as the Nepalese Maoists and government forces fought for control of the lucrative export trade during the June–July harvest season.[14] Collecting yarchagumba in Nepal had only been legalised in 2001, and now demand is highest in countries such as China, Thailand, Korea and Japan. By 2002, the herb was valued at R 105,000 ($1,435) per kilogram, allowing the government to charge a royalty of R 20,000 ($280) per kilogram.

In 2004 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 30,000 to 60,000 Nepali rupees in Nepal, and about Rs 100,000 in India.[15]

The search for Cordyceps sinensis is often perceived to pose a threat for the environment of the Tibetan Plateau where it grows. While it has been collected for centuries and is still common in such collection areas, current collection rates are much higher than in historical times.

Cordyceps producers like to perpetuate the story that unscrupulous harvesters insert twigs into the stromata of wild C. sinensis to increase the weight and therefore the price paid. Tiny twigs are only used when the stromata is broken from the caterpillar, and has nothing to do with weight increases. Supposedly at some point in the past, someone has inserted lead wires with which to increase weight; however, each year hundreds of millions of specimens are harvested and this appears to have been a one time occurrence.[citation needed]

Cultivated C. sinensis mycelium is an alternative to wild-harvested C. sinensis, and producers claim it may offer improved consistency. Artificial culture of C. sinensis is typically by growth of the pure mycelium in liquid culture (in China) or on grains (in the West). Stromata are not produced apart from the insect host.

Because of its incredible value, inter-village conflicts over access to its grassland habitats has become a headache of the local governing bodies and in several cases people were killed.[16] However, taking the value and the vast habitat into account deadly incidents are rather the exception.

According to Daniel Winkler, the price of cordyceps has risen dramatically in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.[3] (as indicated in the table below).
Year % Price Increase Price/kg (Yuan)
1980s 1,800
1997 467% 8,400
2004 429% 36,000
2005 10,000-60,000