It seems that the 2011 harvest season might be less productive than last year's season, which was very good.
Still the price for caterpillar fungus is quite similar to 2010, just a little bit higher so far. However the price might move up further if the harvest turns out to be disappointing due to worries about a shortage of yartsa gunbu supply.
Several sources indicated that a dry winter is seen as the reason for a lower production. Although it is raining right now in Jyekundo = Yushu, at this point this moisture input would not increase the quantity of fruitings, but might improve the quality.
Anyway, a few more days on the grasslands might give us a better understanding what is actually going on.
Miss An showing some bu that goes for 125,000RMB [20,000USD] per pound
Swiss Caterpillar Secrets or Secretions
Meanwhile NZZ, Neue Zuericher Zeitung, Switzerland's leading news paper, informed their readers this week that in Qinghai Province people are searching the grasslands for precious caterpillar secretions ["Raupen-Sekret"]. NZZ also knew that these secretions are very desired in Tibetan and Chinese medicine.
Rather embarrasing journalistic secretions by a NZZ writer I'd say.