Paris polyphylla The New Livelihood Option for Local Communities and Likely

Ecological Crises in Bumthang - Bhutan

Paris polyphylla, commonly known as Satuwa belongs to the Melanthiaceae family. It is collected on a larger
scale in northern part of India and in Nepal where it is traded for its medicinal value. Satuwa has been appearing
in Bhutanese news for the past few years since people started its illegal trade. Since then, the collection of it has
become rampant in all parts of the country where its occurrences are known. Though, its collection has been
legalized in May 2015 in Bhutan, not much study have been carried out. Thus, it has become the national
importance to understand its ecological status and extent of contribution to the livelihood of people, for the
sustainable management of this plant. Understanding this has become important, as collectors have to up-root
the whole plant, as the perceived valuable part of Satuwa is rhizome.
The project shall be undertaken in Chhokhor block of Bumthang district in Bhutan. Part of Chhokhor block falls
within the administrative jurisdiction of the Wangchuck Centennial National Park. Wangchuck Centennial
National Park is the largest national park amongst the ten national parks in the country. The project shall
interview about 100 collectors of Satuwa to quantify the amount earned from the sale of it. A consultative meeting
with the communities collecting the plant shall be organized to get a fair sense of distribution of the plant after
which GPS points of places where plants occur shall be collected. A habitat assessment of the plant shall also be
carried out to understand its associated species.
The project shall try to quantify the income generated from the collection and sale of Satuwa to the communities.
Efforts shall also be made to understand the distribution of Satuwa within the study area along with the
associated species. This project will achieve in reporting many new findings with regards to its ecology and its
importance to the livelihood of the communities collecting it. The conservation priorities of the plant shall be
recommended to the officials from the Department of Forests and Park Services and Wangchuck Centennial
National Park. Awareness campaign shall also be organized to the communities with regards to the sustainability
issues of Satuwa. The findings from this project shall be reported to the policy makers of Bhutan and also efforts
shall be made to publish in the peer-reviewed journal.
For further information contact:
Email: swangchuk@uwice.gov.bt
Website: www.uwice.gov.bt

Rhizome of Paris polyphylla.

Rhizome of Paris polyphylla ready to be sold.

Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE)

Department of Forests and Park Services
Ministry of Agriculture and Forests
Lamai Goempa, Bumthang
Web Address: www.uwice.gov.bt
Post Box No. : 155
PABX No. : +975-03-631926
Fax No. : + 975-03-631925

Cordyceps Classification.
There are currently more than 680 documented species of Cordyceps. This number is subject to rapid change, as what we know of
this genus and the life cycles of its constituents treads into unfamiliar territory. To date, species of the Cordyceps genus have been
found on all six inhabited continents and in many climatic zones and habitats, and feeding off of a range of hosts, which include
plants, insects and arachnids, and even other fungi (such as truffles). As studies of related species continue, it becomes
increasingly obvious that the medicinal benefits of Cordyceps are not relegated to one species.
In Bhutan Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) locally called as "Yartsa Goenbub" which is an insect parasite fungus having high
commercial demand as tonic/aphrodisiac. The small brown fruit bodies emerge from their winter dormancy around late May. The
commercially valuable ones are young fruit bodies before they make their spores. Late May and June is therefore a good time for
collecting these. As they mature over the next four to six weeks they swell, producing millions of spores that are shot from the fruit
body to land on surrounding vegetation.
These are then picked up by grazing caterpillars. The mature fruit bodies, shooting their spores in late June and July, are
biologically valuable - although considered poor quality in the market. Spores on the grazing caterpillars invade using enzymes.
Once inside, Cordyceps sinensis battles the insect immune system. If Cordyceps sinensis wins then it slowly feeds on the fat
reserves. The host is the larval stage (caterpillar) of a moth.
The caterpillars live under the soil feeding on the vegetation of the alpine meadows. As they feed they store nutrients so they can
make the change from larva to pupa and finally to adult moth.
A mature larva will pupate and develop in early spring. Healthy pupae emerge as adults in the summer, so completing the life-cycle.
The ones killed by Cordyceps sinensis emerge, instead, as the valuable fruit bodies of Yartsa Goenbub so completing the fungus'
life-cycle. This relationship between insect and fungus has been going on for millions of years - a relative of Cordyceps sinensis
was found in fifteen million year old Dominican amber infecting an ant.
At the auction yard cordyceps are classified through color and size. In terms of color, cordyceps are classified into golden yellow
and black cordyceps. The golden yellow one is more expensive than the white. In terms of size, cordyceps are classified into big,
medium and small categories.

Natural Cordyceps from Bhutan.

In Bhutan, Cordyceps sinensis thrives at altitudes between 4000 to 5000 meters above sea level, in the cold, grassy, alpine
pastures of Bumthang Paro, Thimphu, Wangduephodrang, Gasa, Lhuntse, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and Haa. Every year
collectors spend four weeks in May/June collecting Cordyceps under the harsh conditions of the high altitudes.

Only experienced collectors manage to find 10 to 50 pieces of grade A quality a day. For its high value, Cordyceps is considered
the Gold of the Himalayas.
Today, apart from few live caterpillars collected from Lingzhi taken to UK and at the research center in Yusipang, there is no
adulteration and artificial cordyceps business in Bhutan.
Moreover, the Royal Government of Bhutan with its development philosophy of Gross National Happiness has always been
cautious in terms of forest based natural product extraction. Cordyceps sinensis being one of the valuable natural products, the
Royal Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests protects its habitat, regulates collection and coordinates the
auction of cordyceps.
Further, in order to promote sustainable management, check illegal trade and duplication, only the villagers from cordyceps growing
areas are allowed to collect at a particular time in season monitored by the local leaders and forestry officials.
The transaction process also ensure check and balance where buyers will have to fill up how many kilograms of cordyceps they
buy from the farmers and for how much. The transaction between the buyers and the sellers should take place in presence of the
sales committee comprising the local leader and a forestry official who will be the witness.
Buyers can go to any cordyceps growing places and buy the plant and after having bought the plant from the farmers, they will have
to get a clearance from the Bhutan Agriculture Food Regulatory Authority which will issue a certificate to the buyers wanting to
export it to other countries. The certificate will maintain that the package contains cordyceps to avoid buyers getting into problems
with the forestry and customs personnel when they export it to other countries.
Recently, a team of experts from the Ministry of agriculture and Forests observed that the density of the cordyceps growth were
about 5 per square meter which was more compared to other neighbouring countries of similar altitude having one cordyceps per
square meter.

Grade-A

Grade-B

Grade-C

Grade-D ( lower grade)

Company info:
Mr. THINLEY DORJI
GANGKAR PHUENSUM HERBS DISTRIBUTORS,
THIMPHU,BHUTAN.
Province:Thimphu and Bumthang
www.bhutancordycep.com/ www.bhutanparadigmtours.com
dorji8541@yahoo.com/ bhutanparadigmtours@gmail.com
Bhutanherbs / Thinley.dorji15
00975 - 02-329171/17362294/17350024

Menlha Herbs
PO Box No: 1033,
Hotel Pedling Building,
Thimphu 11001 , Kingdom of Bhutan
Phone : (+975) 17117611 / 17164929
Email : info@menlhaherbs.com /
dechhen2003@hotmail.com
About Us
Greetings from Menlha Herbs, Bhutan The Land of Medicinal Herbs! We are registered and certified
Export Company successfully exporting exotic herbs and medicinal plants to any country in the world
since 2006.

We export various types of herbs and medicinal plants including Cordyceps, Shilajit, Exidia Species
Mushrooms, All our products are 100% natural and organic. Raw herbs are pesticide-free, sulfur-free,
heavy metal-free, have no chemical pollution. So your efforts to distribute herbs in your country would
bring you a wonderful future and your countrymen good health recovery and long life! So take
advantage of this great opportunity.

Guangzhou Zeli Pharmatech Co.,Ltd

H.Q: No. 6 Kexin Street, Fengxin Road, Guangzhou
Science City, Guangzhou, Guangdong China
Tel: +86 20 3205 8858

Fax: +86 20 3206 8409

Manufacturer of seena extract, ginger extract, lotus leaves

extract
We are a high-tech enterprise specialized and engaged in planting, R&D, manufacturing, marketing on natural
plant extracts and functional herbal healthcare foods over 12 years. By applying our independently invented Highefficiency High-pressure Low-temperature Continuous Extraction Separation Technology and Equipment (HHLSE),
our factory located in Science City Guangzhou with GMP standard produce plant extracts widely used in food &
beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics industries, also instant tea, herbal healthcare food, flower probiotics tea,
exported to over 20 countries and areas in Europe, America and Asia etc also with ODM OEM.

BHUTAN HERBS SUPPLIER & EXPORTER

Mr. Dorji
No. 1248, Bhutan Postal, Thimphu, Bhutan - 00975
Phone : +975-2336497
Mobile : +975-77236062, +975-17639115
Web Site : http://www.bhutanherbssuppliers.com
Web Page : http://www.exportersindia.com/1636711/
Products---Cordyceps , Wild Potato , Aconitum Heterophyllum Roots
Black Cardamom , Jatamansi Herbs , Snake Mushroom , Putishing Shrub Roots

Why its better to buy Cordyceps from Bhutan Cordyceps Sinensis Shop?

The only Reliable Cordyceps Retail Shop in the country authorized by Royal Government of Bhutan.

Cordyceps Certificate will be issued from Shop to show Custom Officials that its legally purchased.

Have option of different grades.

Reasonable price.

Good customer service

Socially an active and Responsible Distributor Firm.

Components of Cordyceps :
Active Components of Medicinal Herbs of Bhutan were as follows :
The active nutritional components of Cordyceps Sinensis make it precious. These include :

Essential amino and fatty acids

Vitamins, including Vitamins B1, B2, B12, E & K.

Minerals, including Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Iron, Potassium and many others.

Enzymes Sterols & proteins.

Specifications
Cordyceps A Grade

Cordyceps B Grade

Cordyceps C Grade

Price per Unit

Price per Unit

Price per Unit

1kg : US$ .27345.00 16,405.00

1Kg : US$. 24,218.00

1kg : US$.

Note : The rates differ according to inflation of foreign hard currency

Our company is one of the reliable Exporters and Suppliers of Wild Potatoes in Thimphu, Bhutan. Sourced from reputed
cultivators, our Wild Potatoes are organic, pure and fresh. They are free from abnormal moisture and contain various nutrients.
Interested buyers can purchase Wild Potatoes from us as per requirement. We offer them in bulk and retail amount as that too at
competitive prices. Our packaging is secure and we extent customized packaging solutions to our buyers as well.

Wild Potatoes in Dry Form

Potatoes A Grade

Potatoes B Grade

PotatoesC Grade

Price per kg

price per kg

price per kg

1kg. US$. 156.00 $.117.00

1kg . US$.125.00

1kg. US

Note : The rates differ according to inflation of foreign hard currency