Community forests becoming a source of income

The locals of Dhaulagiri Village Municipality-1 have been taking medicine in the form of herbs from the Gurja Community Forest. There one can find herbs including Yarsagumba, Red Mushroom and Satuwala. The commercial cultivation of Italian golden apples has been started since last year as well. Residents of Gurja have started commercial cultivation of herbs.

Gurja village is at an altitude of 3220 meters above sea level. Gurja can be reached from Lulang and Mudi villages of Myagdi and Dhorpatan of Baglung. Tourists reach Dhorpatan directly from Gurja, said Zak Bahadur Chhantyal, Ward Chairman of Dhawalagiri Village Municipality-1. After earning a decent income from herbs, the locals have started cultivating herbs in the barren land here. The Himali Agricultural Cooperative Society here has helped in commercial farming.

 "Farmers affiliated to the cooperative are involved in herbal farming," he said. According to Chhantyal, 25 farmers have started cultivating herbs through cooperatives to make them self-reliant by increasing their income. Two and a half hectares have been used for plantations with 28 variety of herbs. In Gurja, Bisjara, Amalveda, Padamchal, Kutki, Satuva, Khiraunla, Pakhanveda, Bikhma, Yarsagumba, Panchaonle, Lauthasalla, Jatamasila and other herbs are found. 

 Similarly, not only fodder and firewood but medicinal herbs are also collected from Gauswara Community Forest of Beni Municipality-2 Jamarukkot. Herbs including Kurilo, Amla, Seto Musli, Camuno, Timia, Badalpatel are widely used.

With the growing interest of locals and the importance of herbs in conservation, community forests have become a source of income. Since it has no long-term effect, the locals use forest herbs.

 Acting Forest Officer Chandra Mani Sapkota says that there are plenty of herbs in the forest. He said that various programs have been carried out for the search, identification and conservation of herbs. "Herbs found in community forests have become a source of income," he said. Different types of herbs are found in 213 community forests of Myagdi. The conservation and use of these herbs has not been done well.