Only three buyers have turned up at the Tsento Gewog office, today where collectors from Soe Gewog in Thimphu, Yagsa and Nubri under Tsento Gewog and Chiddue Goenpa under Doteng Gewog in Paro are gathered to auction their Cordyceps.
According to the list with the gewog, 20 buyers were supposed to attend the auction. With the poor turnout of buyers, people expressed their scepticism about getting the expected price.
And according to the buyers, the quality is poor while they also said their market and the demand for the coveted caterpillar fungus is very low this year. They said this is the first time for the drop of cordyceps demand in the international market and the pandemic is blamed.
However, the gewog administration decided to write to the relevant ministry to reschedule the auction date.
Meanwhile, the face mask is made compulsory while Druk Trace and manual registration are also put in place. Fever screening was done before admitting people to the auction which was called off this afternoon.
Namgay Wangchuk
