The forests of Ura have long provided local communities with one of Bhutan’s most prized wild mushrooms. But farmers in the gewog say matsutake, locally known as Sangay Shamu, is becoming increasingly difficult to find, raising concerns over the future of an important source of rural income.
The shortage was particularly noticeable at this year’s Ura Mushroom Festival, which concluded yesterday. Farmers arrived with considerably smaller quantities of matsutake than in previous years, even as demand for the mushroom remained high.
Residents say the decline has been taking place gradually, with some of the traditional mushroom-growing areas producing little or no harvest. Changes in the forest, particularly the drying and dying of mature trees, are among the main concerns raised by collectors.
“We feel that matsutake production is declining year by year. We are also facing challenges in sustaining the mushroom groups in the gewog because we cannot control outsiders from collecting the mushrooms,” said Pema Norbu, a farmer from Ura.
The difference between past and present harvests is significant, according to villagers.
Tshetrim Dema, another farmer, said villagers could previously sell around 20 kilograms of matsutake over two days during the season. Today, she said, the entire village sometimes manages to collect only three to four kilograms in a day.
“We have noticed that big trees in the forest are drying up every year. When the trees dry up, mushrooms no longer grow in those areas,” she said.
The condition of the forest is particularly important for matsutake because, unlike many commercially grown mushrooms, it cannot simply be cultivated using conventional farming methods. Matsutake grows naturally in association with trees, making the health of its forest habitat crucial to its survival and productivity.
Sonam Tenzin, a farmer in Ura Gewog, said the deterioration of trees in known mushroom-growing areas has coincided with declining harvests.
“Trees are also dying in the mushroom-growing areas, so the mushrooms do not grow as well there. We also could not sell as much matsutake during the festival as we did last year,” he said.
The growing concern has prompted local authorities and conservation officials to work with communities on protecting matsutake habitats and improving harvesting practices.
Ura Gup Chimi Tobgay said matsutake in Bumthang is found only in Ura Gewog, making conservation of the mushroom and its habitat particularly important.
“To address this, the gewog administration and Phrumsengla National Park have provided training to the community on sustainable harvesting and mushroom preservation,” he said.
Farmers, however, say regulating harvesting alone may not be enough. They believe greater attention needs to be given to the condition of the forests themselves, particularly areas where trees associated with matsutake growth are deteriorating.
Pressure from collectors outside the community is another challenge. Local farmers fear that without effective management of harvesting grounds, efforts by villagers to conserve mushroom patches may have limited impact.
The decline is not confined to Ura. At the Matsutake Festival in Thimphu, farmers from Genye Gewog also struggled to collect sufficient quantities of the mushroom to meet demand from exporters, pointing to broader concerns surrounding matsutake availability.
For Ura, however, the mushroom carries both economic and cultural significance. The Ura Mushroom Festival, first organised in 2008, was established not only to promote mushrooms but also to encourage sustainable harvesting while showcasing the community’s culture and local products.
The annual event has since become closely associated with the matsutake season. This year, the reduced quantity available for sale provided a visible indication of the challenges farmers have been reporting from the forests.
Matsutake is generally harvested between July and September. For families who depend on the brief season for additional income, even a modest decline can have economic consequences.
As this year’s season continues, farmers say the long-term future of Sangay Shamu will depend not simply on how mushrooms are harvested during these few months, but on how well their forest habitat is protected throughout the year.
