Resembling a Caterpillar, This Mushroom is Priced at Over Rp2 Billion per Kg

The translated text in English while preserving the HTML tags is: "It Resembles a Caterpillar, This Mushroom Costs More Than Rp2 Billion Per Kg."

Dream - Zombie Mushroom, also known as Cordyceps Sinensis, is one of the most valuable natural resources in the world today. This mushroom is even said to be more valuable than gold. This mushroom is highly sought after for its medicinal properties and serves as an important source of income for some people. Its current existence is threatened by two main factors, namely climate change and excessive hunting by people trying to make a profit.

Resembling a Caterpillar, This Mushroom is Priced at Over Rp2 Billion per Kg

Quoting from iflscience.com, Cordyceps sinensis is a type of parasitic fungus that attacks its host by altering its nervous system. This attack causes the host to exhibit strange behavior, which eventually aids in the spread of the fungus spores.

Cordyceps even became an inspiration in the video game "The Last of Us". However, there is no evidence to suggest that Cordyceps can infect humans. However, the story is different when it involves caterpillars. Ghost moth larvae become victims of this rare caterpillar fungus. This fungus is usually found in highland areas such as Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. Known as yartsa gunbu or DongChongXiaCao, which literally means "winter worm - summer grass".

Interestingly, when the spores attack the body of a caterpillar. This fungus manipulates the caterpillar to move towards the surface of the ground, where the caterpillar dies. During the winter season, Cordyceps remains inactive, then emerges from the caterpillar's head towards the sunlight in the spring season.

The following is the translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any html tags: "The long protrusion that emerges from the head of the caterpillar is actually the fruiting body of Cordyceps sinensis, although it was previously thought to be a worm. The value of this mushroom reaches US$ 150,000 per kilogram or around Rp 2.41 billion. Meanwhile, the global market value of this mushroom reaches US$ 11 billion, making it highly valuable and harvested plant."

Although it yields great profits, the harvesting process is not easy. Collectors have to search at the same altitude as the Everest Base Camp, and this attracts the attention of many people every year as they search for the mushroom fruit bodies.

However, with a harvest season that only lasts for two months, and many people relying on income from Cordyceps sales, the problem of excessive mushroom hunting is getting worse. This is also exacerbated by climate change, which causes the number of Cordyceps to decrease. Every year, it becomes increasingly difficult to find infected caterpillars, which ultimately leads to a decline in the population of this mushroom and makes it increasingly difficult and expensive to find.

"To overcome this problem, some companies have started exploring the possibility of cultivating Cordyceps artificially. Although it can ensure sustainability, not everyone agrees because it is not in line with long-standing traditional practices."

When we are faced with this situation, we need to consider the balance between preserving the uniqueness of this mushroom and maintaining traditional practices that have existed for centuries. It is important to remember that even small changes, like a worm, can have significant impacts. Therefore, wise actions are necessary to protect this valuable natural resource. Report: Khaira Amaliya.

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