According to a study by the Indo-Pacific Centre for Strategic Communications (IPCSC), Chinese forces unlawfully crossed into Indian territory on many occasions to gather a fungus that is valued higher than gold. The Cordyceps fungus may be found in the Indian Himalayas and on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in southwest China. According to the article, PLA forces entered Arunachal Pradesh in India to gather these prized fungus, which are frequently utilised in traditional medicine.
Without any scientific support, the expanding middle class in China seeks this miracle cure for anything from digestion to erectile dysfunction. Cordyceps are produced and exported mostly by China. The harvest in China has decreased recently, according to the IPCSC study, nevertheless. Overharvesting of this herbal medication is a result of the confluence of declining supply and rising demand.
Cordyceps harvesting
Because cordyceps develop on insect larvae, they are referred to as parasitic fungus. When an insect is infected with cordyceps, the cordyceps take over the insect’s body and finally emerge from the corpse. The Himalayan plant Cordyceps sinensis parasitizes the ghost moth larvae. Caterpillar fungus is another name for the organism since it develops from the caterpillar’s head. Since economically growing the fungus is so difficult, it is often taken from the wild.
IPCSC reports that certain Himalayan communities make a living by gathering and selling this fungus. According to specialists, selling caterpillar fungus may actually provide up to 80% of household income on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas. Consider this: a little 10 gramme bag of cordyceps may be purchased for the equivalent of $700 USD, demonstrating the fungus’s rarity and high cost. $500 is roughly the value of 10 grammes of gold. Even though cordyceps are becoming less common in the wild, efforts to grow them in the lab have proved ineffective.
Strategic issues
However, there have long been rumours that PLA soldiers invade India to gather this fungus. Although they might not be a strategic issue, all violations must be taken seriously. The north-eastern India-China border is a haven for unusual goods, and residents frequently wander and are apprehended by soldiers on the opposite side. Many of the locals who work for the Indian Army as porters occasionally go on expeditions to collect and hunt native herbs and other goods that are highly valued on the international market.
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