2015 caterpillar funguses digging work has begun in Nagchu Prefecture of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, the output of Nagchu caterpillar funguses is likely to have an incensement comparing with that of last year, reporters from China’s Xinhua News Agency was informed by Nagchu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau recently. Caterpillar funguses are becoming the main cash income source of local farmers and herdsmen, because of the popularity and high market price.

Ren Chuncheng, deputy researcher of Nagchu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, says that counties at relatively low altitude like Lhari of Nagchu have already begun caterpillar funguses digging since the beginning of May; other major producing counties like Biru, Sog and Bachen have begun the digging one after another in the same month. Judging from current feedbacks, the predicted output of caterpillar funguses in this year will easily exceed 25,000 kg.

Caterpillar fungus is used as a reputed curative in anti-aging, hypoglycemic, aphrodisiac and also treatment against cancer. It serves against kidney and lung problems and stimulates the immune system and also used for treatment of fatigue, night sweating, respiratory disease, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, asthenia after severe illness, arrhythmias and other heart diseases and liver diseases. Being hailed as “soft gold”, caterpillar fungus holds at high price always. As more and more people and companies engage in caterpillar fungus business, farmers and herds men who dig caterpillar fungus every year receive considerable cash income in recent decades.