The Karnali region is a hub for natural herbs and spices. According to the Forest Regulation (First Amendment, 2023), around 300 varieties of herbs are found in the Karnali Province. These herbs are important for the residents of the region who make a living out of plucking them.
Government data states there are 74 root species, 33 bark species, 46 leaf and stem species, 90 flower and stem species, 47 plant species, and 10 gum resin species. To collect and sell these herbs, the locals, however, have to obtain permission from the Division Forest Office. They also need to pay a certain fee to do so.
Around 3,000 people are involved in the practice. The herbs and spices that at plucked by the locals are exported to India and various other countries through Nepalgunj. According to government data, 4.3 million kilograms of herbs were exported to India and an additional 252,000 kilograms were exported to other countries in fiscal year 2022/23 through the Nepalgunj border crossing.
Halt in herb picking
Things, however, are not the same as only 700,000 kilograms of herbs have been exported in the first six months of the current fiscal year. This, data states, is 70 per cent less than what was exported in the same period last year.
In the districts of Mugu and Humla, the collection and transportation of herbs are currently underway to a limited extent. According to Tanka Prasad Sharma, President of the Jadibuti Association of Nepal (JABAN), the collection of herbs from national forests in all districts of Karnali Province has stopped since July 17, 2023.
Sharma pointed out that due to negligence and disregard shown by the Division Forest Office, Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest, and Environment (Karnali Province), and the Government of Karnali Province, the harvesting of herbs— a primary source of income for the residents of Karnali Province—has come to a halt.
Since the Forest Regulations was issued on November 17, 2023, the ministry said that it will initiate the process of collecting and transporting herbs soon after developing a new action plan for all the districts.
According to Krishna Kumar BC, the Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest, and Environment in Karnali Province, there is a looming situation where herb picking activities will be halted unless the Division Forest Offices promptly prepare a new action plan for herb collection and initiate the approval process.
The division forest officers are not oblivious to the necessity of formulating and approving a new action plan before the expiration of the five-year one. However, the current predicament has arisen due to the officials’ failure to pay attention to the creation of a new action plan.
When the Government of India banned herb imports from Nepal in 2019, about a dozen herbs, including gooseberries, soap pod, bojo, Jatamansi, and Hadelsun, could not be exported. As a result, approximately 300 tonnes of Jatamansi, 150 tonnes of gooseberries, and around 10 tonnes of soap pods have been stockpiled.
Storing the herbs for an extended period has led to a decline in their quality. Herbalist Sanjay Jain said that this has caused significant financial losses for businessmen, amounting to millions if not billions. Only the herbs listed as eligible for export in the Plant Quarantine system of India are currently being shipped.
Yet, the export of herbs excluded in India’s notice has also been stopped for four years. That is what has made herbalists unhappy. They feel the lack of efforts from relevant authorities to resume exports is a major problem.
The halt in herb exports directly affects the impoverished residents of remote hilly and Himalayan districts, for whom herbs are the main source of income. The lack of a defined government policy has left farmers unable to cultivate herbs in their fields. Consequently, there is a rise in herb destruction in forests. The absence of incentives for herb cultivation among farmers raises concerns about the potential decline in the processes of herb collection and foreign export.
Facilitating the collection
Until a decade ago, up to 7,000 metric tonnes of herbs were annually exported to India through Nepalgunj. However, in recent years, the export of herbs has decreased to 4,600 metric tonnes.
Rajesh Jain, the former president of the Jadibuti Association of Nepal (JABAN) in Banke, says that the absence of a clear government policy and its effective implementation has hindered the generation of substantial income from herb picking. This is despite the considerable potential for herb cultivation in the mountainous and hilly districts of Nepal.
Following the halt in the export of herbs, the primary commodity exported to India from the Nepalganj border, the trucks that came to Nepal with goods from India have been returning empty. Local businessmen argue that the Nepal government must address the issue of herbal extraction.
The Divisional Forest Office is required to create a five-year action plan and get approval from the federal Ministry of Forest and Environment to facilitate the collection and transportation of herbs. Once the plan is approved, the forest office charges revenue and grants permission to residents for herb picking.
The halt in herb picking and collection has disrupted the source of income for thousands of impoverished families in this province. According to Sharma, approximately 2,600 metric tonnes of herbs were gathered annually from the national forest area of Karnali Province. He says the people of Karnali earn around Rs 1 billion each year through the collection of herbs from the national forest area.
However, since the start of the current fiscal year, the collection and transportation of herbs have come to a halt in the districts of Karnali Province, including Jumla, Dolpa, Kalikot, Salyan, Jajarkot, and Rukum West. This is attributed to the five-year action plan not being approved.
Call for urgency
The Government of Karnali Province says it has devised and released new forest regulations to enhance the efficacy of protecting and managing forest products, including herbs.
Forest Minister BC stated that the collection and transportation of herbs will commence shortly after formulating a new action plan. However, experts hint that it will require a minimum of two months before the new action plan is both prepared and approved.
The budget required for the preparation and approval of the EIA report and action plan has not yet been released from the Division Forest offices. Stating that a budget of Rs 1 million is necessary for the action plan and EIA report, the terms of reference (TOR) were recently approved. The process will commence once the budget is cleared.
According to Tek Bahadur Rawat, Divisional Forest Officer of Jumla, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the forest area earmarked for herb picking or collection must be completed before drafting a new action plan. The process of preparing an action plan typically takes one to one and a half months, following the completion of the prescribed procedures.
According to Bhim Bahadur Bhandari, an herbalist from Jumla, the primary season for herb picking in the Karnali districts is from October to November. Herbs have not been collected this year due to the absence of a new action plan.
He informs that even if the new action plan is approved in March/April and green flags the commencement of herb collection and transportation, the main season for herb collection is already over. “So now, we must wait until October of the next year.”
