According to villagers, they have strict rules among themselves and don’t allow mushroom collectors from other places to “ravage” their main source of cash income.

“We know how to harvest mushroom sustainably, because it’s our gold mine,” said a villager. In fact, every Genekha farmer has their own secret spot, which they protect like a favourite child. “Even other family members wouldn’t know where the secret spot is,” said a villager, Jigme Thinley. He said that Sangay shamu is the main cash crop they had to depend on for generations, and not just a few years.

Most of the time, Matsutake collectors go alone, fearing competition muscling in on their favourite spot. “They (other collectors) won’t spare even a single mushroom to seed the next season,” said Jigme Thinley.

Dago, 61, who’s been collecting the mushroom for the past 15 years, said that, if friends keep following him, he used to lead them sites everybody else visits to collect. “I use to lead them to the wrong place. If they keep following me closely, I go back home empty-handed towards the end of the day,” Dago said.

He said that greedy collectors do not spare even mature mushroom to spread mycelium (seed). “They even wipe off all the manures at the top of the ground in search of mushrooms and spoil the place,” said Dago. “The productivity of the mushroom depends upon the care and management of the place,” Dago said.

Sangay Shamu collection starts from July till August in Genekha. Farmers from 80 households get better prices than does Ura, Bumthang, since the buyers come to their gewog centre and their produce can be easily exported via Paro airport.

Gewog forest officer, Tashi Tshering, told Kuensel that the community would manage the forest as per the management plan. According to records, compiled by Thimphu dzongkhag forest officials, Thimphu exported 1,516 kg of mushrooms in 2006 and 2,896 kg in 2007.