Guchi mushroom prices jump on higher gleaning

It has been been a good year for the wild guchi mushroom found in Himachal Pradesh, finders say. The price of the grey mushroom has risen by about Rs 2,000 from last year to Rs 11,000 a kg.

The last of the guchi mushroom is still entering the markets of the hill state, including the capital Shimla's. Once the rare mushroom leaves the state, its price shoots up due to strong demand from top hotels in metropolitan cities. Besides its exotic taste, experts say the mushroom is rich in protein and other nutrients.

The guchi mushroom cannot be grown. It sprouts naturally in the wild. It is found in moist, shady forest floors, orchards, yards and meadows in the mid hills of the state. Guchi finders set out in late March with sling bags, looking for this wild mushroom. Some remain away for weeks and return with their bags full. The last of the wild guchi can be found at the end of May.

The mushrooms are strung to threads and dried for a few days before being sold. Guchi is often bought by buyers directly from farmers and pickers in villages to sell at higher prices in markets across the state and other parts of the country.

Though this mushroom variety has been around for ages, the state government has no statistics on how much of it is found and sold every year, and at what value. Locals say if there are frequent thunderstorms, guchi sprouts from the ground aplenty. In Himachal, the mushroom is found in the hills of Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu, Sirmaur and Chamba districts, among other places, and also in Jammu & Kashmir.