Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal

Jay Kant Raut; Jitendra Upadhyaya; Vijaya Raghavan; Minu Adhikari; Santoshi Bhushal; Pragun Sunder Sainju; Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan; Anjana Giri; Lok Ranjan Bhatt

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal

Jay Kant Raut, Jitendra Upadhyaya, Vijaya Raghavan, Minu Adhikari, Santoshi Bhushal, Pragun Sunder Sainju, Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan, Anjana Giri, Lok Ranjan Bhatt

Published in International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 4, Issue 6)

Received: 19 September 2019 Accepted: 4 October 2019 Published: 20 November 2019

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Abstract

In Nepal morel mushroom is one of the most important wild edible fungi, which is exported, in larger quantities. They have been collected, consumed and traded for more than two decades. The morel mushroom trade is worth a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. This study was carried out to elucidate the current harvest and trade of morel mushrooms, the prospects for commercial morel industry development and the resource management in Nepal. Wild morels are harvested commercially and exported extensively from west Nepal especially from Karnali and Far West Province which share 58% and 29% of total national output respectively. Most commonly found and traded species are Morchella conica and M. esculenta. In most cases, the collectors sell morels in fresh form to the local dealers or in the local markets from where they are exported to different parts of the world. A bulk of morel mushrooms is traded via Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar routes. The local collectors get nominal benefits as prices are very low in the local area as compared to international markets. The price of M. conica is always higher than other morel species. There is neither processing nor any kind of value addition works currently being done in Nepal except drying, grading and packaging. The present study reveals that Nepal has a huge potential to become a major global producer of high quality morels. There is no serious concern about the overexploitation of the resource at the moment. However, a reliable local monitoring system and a scientific intervention for the artificial cultivation are inevitable for the sustainable management.

Published in	International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 4, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14
Page(s)	183-187
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Bioresource, Ethnomycology, Gucchi Chyau, Livelihood, Management, Morel Industry, NTFPs, Wild Edible Fungi

References

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[2]	Boa E (2004) Wild edible fungi a global overview of their use and importance to people. FAO/Forestry Department, Rome, Italy.
[3]	Pilz D, McLain R, Alexander S, Villarreal-Ruiz L, Berch S, Wurtz TL, Parks CG.; McFarlane, E, Baker B, Molina R, Smith JE (2007) Ecology and management of morels harvested from the forests of western North America. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-710. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161p.
[4]	Du XH, Zhao Q, Yang ZL (2015) A review on research advances, issues, and perspectives of morels. Mycology 6 (2): 78–85.
[5]	GoN (2018) Nepal’s Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
[6]	Adhikari MK (2014) Mushrooms of Nepal. (Eds by G. Durrieu, & H. V. T. Cotter) Published by KS Adhikari, Kathmandu, Nepal. 340p.
[7]	DPR (2006) Prioritized NTFPs for economic development of Nepal. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu.
[8]	Adhikari, MK (2010) Some rare fungi from Nepal. Journal of Natural History Museum 25: 312-320.
[9]	Raut JK (2013) Mycodiversity of Nepal and Its Conservation Status. Fungal Conservation 3: 51-52.
[10]	Hamayun M, Khan SA, Ahmad H, Shin DH, Lee IJ (2006) Morel collection and marketing: A case study from the Hindu-Kush mountain region of Swat, Pakistan. Lyonia 11 (2): 7-13.
[11]	Liu Q, Ma H, Zhang Y, Dong C (2018) Artificial cultivation of true morels: current state, issues and perspectives, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 38 (2): 259-271, DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2017.1333082.
[12]	Subedi BP (2001) Plant Profile: Morel Mushrooms. Himalayan Bioresources.
[13]	Christensen M, Larsen HO (2005) How Can Collection of Wild Edible Fungi Contribute to Livelihoods in Rural Areas of Nepal? Journal of Forest and Livelihood 4: 50-55.
[14]	Karki A (2009) Distribution, Status, Potentiality and Maketing Importance of Guchchi Chyau (Morchella conica Pers.) in Mugu District, Nepal. The Initiation 2009: 97-101.
[15]	Magrati TP, Tripathee HP, Devkota KP (2011) Nutritional Analysis of Morchella conica and its Role on Rural Livelihood. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 12 (2011) 119-126.
[16]	Devkota S (2008) Distribution and status of highland mushrooms: a study from Dolpa, Nepal. Journal of Natural History Museum 23: 51-58.
[17]	JABAN (2017) Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) Stakeholder Directory, Jadibuti Association of Nepal (JABAN), Nepalgunj, Banke, Nepal.
[18]	DOF (2016) Hamro Ban 2011-2016 (Annual Report in Nepali). Department of Forest, Babarmahal, Kathmandu.

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APA Style

Jay Kant Raut, Jitendra Upadhyaya, Vijaya Raghavan, Minu Adhikari, Santoshi Bhushal, et al. (2019). Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 4(6), 183-187. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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ACS Style

Jay Kant Raut; Jitendra Upadhyaya; Vijaya Raghavan; Minu Adhikari; Santoshi Bhushal, et al. Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2019, 4(6), 183-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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AMA Style

Jay Kant Raut, Jitendra Upadhyaya, Vijaya Raghavan, Minu Adhikari, Santoshi Bhushal, et al. Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2019;4(6):183-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14,
  author = {Jay Kant Raut and Jitendra Upadhyaya and Vijaya Raghavan and Minu Adhikari and Santoshi Bhushal and Pragun Sunder Sainju and Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan and Anjana Giri and Lok Ranjan Bhatt},
  title = {Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal},
  journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
  volume = {4},
  number = {6},
  pages = {183-187},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  abstract = {In Nepal morel mushroom is one of the most important wild edible fungi, which is exported, in larger quantities. They have been collected, consumed and traded for more than two decades. The morel mushroom trade is worth a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. This study was carried out to elucidate the current harvest and trade of morel mushrooms, the prospects for commercial morel industry development and the resource management in Nepal. Wild morels are harvested commercially and exported extensively from west Nepal especially from Karnali and Far West Province which share 58% and 29% of total national output respectively. Most commonly found and traded species are Morchella conica and M. esculenta. In most cases, the collectors sell morels in fresh form to the local dealers or in the local markets from where they are exported to different parts of the world. A bulk of morel mushrooms is traded via Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar routes. The local collectors get nominal benefits as prices are very low in the local area as compared to international markets. The price of M. conica is always higher than other morel species. There is neither processing nor any kind of value addition works currently being done in Nepal except drying, grading and packaging. The present study reveals that Nepal has a huge potential to become a major global producer of high quality morels. There is no serious concern about the overexploitation of the resource at the moment. However, a reliable local monitoring system and a scientific intervention for the artificial cultivation are inevitable for the sustainable management.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal
AU - Jay Kant Raut
AU - Jitendra Upadhyaya
AU - Vijaya Raghavan
AU - Minu Adhikari
AU - Santoshi Bhushal
AU - Pragun Sunder Sainju
AU - Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan
AU - Anjana Giri
AU - Lok Ranjan Bhatt
Y1 - 2019/11/20
PY - 2019
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14
DO - 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14
T2 - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
JF - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
JO - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
SP - 183
EP - 187
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2575-3061
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14
AB - In Nepal morel mushroom is one of the most important wild edible fungi, which is exported, in larger quantities. They have been collected, consumed and traded for more than two decades. The morel mushroom trade is worth a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. This study was carried out to elucidate the current harvest and trade of morel mushrooms, the prospects for commercial morel industry development and the resource management in Nepal. Wild morels are harvested commercially and exported extensively from west Nepal especially from Karnali and Far West Province which share 58% and 29% of total national output respectively. Most commonly found and traded species are Morchella conica and M. esculenta. In most cases, the collectors sell morels in fresh form to the local dealers or in the local markets from where they are exported to different parts of the world. A bulk of morel mushrooms is traded via Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar routes. The local collectors get nominal benefits as prices are very low in the local area as compared to international markets. The price of M. conica is always higher than other morel species. There is neither processing nor any kind of value addition works currently being done in Nepal except drying, grading and packaging. The present study reveals that Nepal has a huge potential to become a major global producer of high quality morels. There is no serious concern about the overexploitation of the resource at the moment. However, a reliable local monitoring system and a scientific intervention for the artificial cultivation are inevitable for the sustainable management.
VL - 4
IS - 6
ER -

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Author Information

Jay Kant Raut

Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
Jitendra Upadhyaya

Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
Vijaya Raghavan

Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
Minu Adhikari

Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
Santoshi Bhushal

Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
Pragun Sunder Sainju

Division of Soil Science, Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Lalitpur, Nepal
Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan

Plant Research Center, Department of Plant Resources, Jumla, Nepal
Anjana Giri

Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
Lok Ranjan Bhatt

Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Jay Kant Raut, Jitendra Upadhyaya, Vijaya Raghavan, Minu Adhikari, Santoshi Bhushal, et al. (2019). Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 4(6), 183-187. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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ACS Style

Jay Kant Raut; Jitendra Upadhyaya; Vijaya Raghavan; Minu Adhikari; Santoshi Bhushal, et al. Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2019, 4(6), 183-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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AMA Style

Jay Kant Raut, Jitendra Upadhyaya, Vijaya Raghavan, Minu Adhikari, Santoshi Bhushal, et al. Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2019;4(6):183-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14,
  author = {Jay Kant Raut and Jitendra Upadhyaya and Vijaya Raghavan and Minu Adhikari and Santoshi Bhushal and Pragun Sunder Sainju and Chandra Mohan Gurmachhan and Anjana Giri and Lok Ranjan Bhatt},
  title = {Trade and Conservation of Morel Mushrooms in Nepal},
  journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
  volume = {4},
  number = {6},
  pages = {183-187},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20190406.14},
  abstract = {In Nepal morel mushroom is one of the most important wild edible fungi, which is exported, in larger quantities. They have been collected, consumed and traded for more than two decades. The morel mushroom trade is worth a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. This study was carried out to elucidate the current harvest and trade of morel mushrooms, the prospects for commercial morel industry development and the resource management in Nepal. Wild morels are harvested commercially and exported extensively from west Nepal especially from Karnali and Far West Province which share 58% and 29% of total national output respectively. Most commonly found and traded species are Morchella conica and M. esculenta. In most cases, the collectors sell morels in fresh form to the local dealers or in the local markets from where they are exported to different parts of the world. A bulk of morel mushrooms is traded via Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar routes. The local collectors get nominal benefits as prices are very low in the local area as compared to international markets. The price of M. conica is always higher than other morel species. There is neither processing nor any kind of value addition works currently being done in Nepal except drying, grading and packaging. The present study reveals that Nepal has a huge potential to become a major global producer of high quality morels. There is no serious concern about the overexploitation of the resource at the moment. However, a reliable local monitoring system and a scientific intervention for the artificial cultivation are inevitable for the sustainable management.},
 year = {2019}
}

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