What is IPCSC ???
Full form of IPCSC – indo Pacific centre for strategic Communications. It’s a think tank that finds out why this might have happened.
What is ”Kida jadi” Aka Himalayan Gold?
Kida jadi is a type of fungi called cordyceps. the Scientific name of kida jadi is Ophio cordyceps sinensis. In China And Nepal, it Known As ‘Yarsagumba’ Tibetins Call It. Yarsagumba, In The English Speaking Word. It Is Called Caterpillar Fungus Wormwood is a mushroom that looks like half a worm and half looks like a root, hence it is known as wormwood.
Where is wormwood available ?
Wormwood is mainly found at high altitudes in the Indian Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in southwest China. According to the National Library of Medicine, it is also found in Sikkim at altitudes above 4500 metres. At this height the treeline ends i.e. after which the trees stop growing. When the snow melts in May to July, the cycle of its growth or flourishing begins. It is also found in other parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan. According to the news magazine The Week, it is called Yarsagumba in Nepal and Tibet. It is a poetic name, which means summer grass, winter wormwood and wormwood in Uttarakhand.
How much does wormwood cost?
There is a lot of demand for wormwood in many areas of China, India, Bhutan and Nepal. According to The Week, the price of 1 kg of wormwood in the international market is up to Rs 65 lakh. That is, it is more expensive than gold. Till 2009, its price was around 10 lakh rupees. In 2022, the market value of wormwood is estimated to be around $1,072.50 million, ie Rs 107 crore. Many times even wormwood has been caught while sending it to the markets.
What are the uses of Kida Jadi?
Traditional healers in China and the Indian Himalayas use it for diseases such as kidney and impotence. According to The Week, the benefits of wormwood were first mentioned in the 15th century Tibetan medicinal treatise ‘An Ocean of Aphrodisiacal Qualities’. Traditional healers and local people in Sikkim say to use wormwood in 21 different ailments. The health website Very Well Health lists several benefits of taking wormwood as a supplement. You can see it in the slide below
Athletes use it as a natural steroid in China
The use of insect and fungus residues has been recommended for centuries in traditional medicine in China for the treatment of fatigue, illness, kidney infection and to increase sex power. In China, wormwood is used as a natural steroid. In China, this herb is given to sportsmen, especially athletes, because of its ability to increase the body’s energy immediately. This enchanting herb also came into limelight during the Stuttgart World Championship in 2009. In the championship, Chinese female athletes broke records in the 1500 m, 3000 m and 10,000 m categories. According to Healthline, this fungus is rich in nutrients such as proteins, peptides, amino acids, vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-12. They give instant strength and do not get caught in the doping test done on the players.
Why did China have to infiltrate for wormwood?
China is the largest producer and exporter of wormwood. According to the Indo Pacific Center for Strategic Communications, in the past two years, China’s biggest producing region, Qinghai, has seen a significant reduction in wormwood harvest due to fungus deficiency. At the same time, however, the demand for the prized Cordyceps has grown exponentially over the past decade.
According to sources, due to high demand and limited resources, wormwood has been over-harvested. Because of this, there was a decrease in its production in China since 2018. During this period, 41,200 kg of wormwood was produced, which is 5.2% less than in 2017. In 2017, 43,500 kg of wormwood was produced. According to the IPCSC, in 2010 and 2011, China’s provincial media reported a production of 1.5 lakh kg.
Chinese cordyceps companies in Qinghai have been paying locals millions of yuan in recent years to block off entire mountains to harvest wormwood. The survey shows that the annual crop of wormwood has declined. Over harvesting is believed to be responsible for this.
According to IPCSC, wormwood is the only means of livelihood of the people in some areas of the Himalayan region. These people first collect it and then sell it. Wormwood is the source of 80% of household income in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.
Wormwood is quite rare in the wild. At the same time, growing healthy wormwood in the laboratory has not been successful, due to which there is a lot of hindrance in research. However, his team, including Professor Mee Kyong Lee and Dr. Ayman Turk of Chungbuk National University, has grown it in a place where the environment was not controlled. Due to this, a hope has arisen regarding the research of wormwood. The findings of this research were published in Frontline in Microbiology
Why does China import donkeys and dogs
In China, dog meat is eaten and donkey is used in medicine called EGO.