A kilogram of Cordyceps from Lunana was sold for Nu 2.851 M in Punakha on Friday. It is the highest price so far in the country this year. However, the much-hyped cordyceps auction ended on a low note after not many collectors showed up for the auction. Collectors from Lunana in Gasa auction the prized fungi in Goenshari in Punakha.
Considered a ‘bumper season’ for Cordyceps in Lunana this year, hopes were high, especially among the buyers. The auction yard at the Goenshari Gewog saw 22 registered bidders. However, only 24 sellers turned up for the auction with a total of about 43 kilograms of the fungi. Close to 22 kilograms were sold with the lowest price recorded at Nu 360,000.
“We came hoping to see a huge quantity of cordyceps here in the auction. But it is very less. There is no room to choose. We feel that we are unable to buy the expected quality due to lack of selection opportunity,” said Dendup, a bidder from Thimphu.
Collectors at the auction say some people of Lunana have already sold their cordyceps to local buyers in their village before the auction. Likewise, some could not come due to transportation problems.
A forest official says some 270 permits to collect the fungus were issued this year. The office also issued the certificate of origin for 260.8 kilograms of cordyceps. This certificate is issued right after the collection of cordyceps to proceed for auction.
Highlanders annually collect cordyceps for a month from May. According to the guidelines for the collection of the fungi, all the permit holders should sell their cordyceps through auction only.
However, with just a handful of sellers at the auction yard, most bidders left disappointed. They say it would be better if the concerned authority could monitor strictly as per the guidelines.
Langa Dorji, a bidder from Thimphu says buying and selling at the auction is convenient for both parties. “We expected and eagerly awaited thinking that the cordyceps from Lunana would be better this time. But there is no cordyceps when we reached here.”
But the collectors have a different story to tell. According to them, most cordyceps collectors are discouraged to auction their harvest since they could not fetch a good price during the auction in 2018. Moreover, they say they earn a better price while selling directly.
“Some of our people do not come for auction due to the high risk of spoiling the quality of cordyceps by heat here. Another reason is that some local buyers come to our doorsteps to buy the fungi when there is a good yield. Some of them sell directly to buyers by negotiating the price over the phone,” said Mindu, from Lunana.
“I brought about a kilo of cordyceps here. But the price at the auction is less than what we got last time back in the village. So, I have decided to withdraw it from the auction after paying the Royalty. I am taking it back to sell it next year,” said Dawa Gyeltshen.
“The price is good for the smaller-sized fungi here in the auction. But the price for bigger ones was better when we sold directly. We sold at about Nu 1.3 M back in Lunana, and here we are getting only about Nu 1.1 M,” added Tashi Namgay, also from Lunana.
Meanwhile, cordyceps collectors want the authorities to allow them to sell their harvest from their gewog centre after paying the royalty. They say they face lots of challenges while coming down to Goenshari for auction.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Sonam
