Putao’s Eastern Side Faces Losses as No Buyers for Caterpillar Fungus Due to Road Blockages

Pajau Media

November 16, 2025

Residents of Putao say that although they depend on seasonal natural resources for their livelihood, and despite it being the caterpillar fungus trading season, people in the eastern part of Putao are facing losses because the roads remain blocked and there are no buyers for the fungus.

In Putao, starting from early October the beginning of winter, residents not only gather food for survival but also collect caterpillar fungus from the riverbanks and forest areas as a seasonal economic activity.

However, this year, residents living in the eastern part of Putao said that although they managed to collect caterpillar fungus with great difficulty, they are now facing losses because the roads are closed, leaving them without any place to sell and without any buyers.

“This year, the roads on the eastern side of Putao are blocked, so it’s impossible to go anywhere. People in the eastern area found a lot of caterpillar fungus, but they can’t cross from Thanghka because of the closure. There are no buyers, and they can’t even travel to Putao town. So they are facing losses. Caterpillar fungus prices have been good for years. But it’s seasonal so it can’t be stored. This year, the eastern side of Putao is struggling a lot,” said a local resident.

In previous years, residents earned around 1 million kyats per viss (approximately 1.6 kg) of caterpillar fungus, so collecting it in season had become a major source of income.

But in recent years, even in places near Putao where people used to collect fungus every year along the rivers, many collectors said they failed to find any this year and had to return empty handed, not even covering their food expenses.

“Caterpillar fungus is no longer appearing around the area like before. Since the price is good and it’s the right season, people went out to search. But this year, we couldn’t find anything. We don’t know if it’s just not coming out or if the timing is wrong. Collecting caterpillar fungus didn’t work at all we returned just as we went,” another collector said.

Collecting caterpillar fungus in Putao is a local tradition during its peak season. Locals usually wait along Kharlan, Ziradam Village, Phunkan, the Madwe Mountain route, and from Naungmon to Hkawnlanphu, where the caterpillar fungus flows down the Mekha River. They wait with pipes and nets to catch them or flip over stones to collect them.

In the past, people could wait near bridges and creeks of Mulashidi to catch them easily, but now they must hike deep into the forest. And although the price is high, the poor transportation and road conditions make trading extremely difficult.

Caterpillar fungus has a strong spicy scent and is a well known local delicacy. Locals pound and eat it with chilies or add it to soups. It is also purchased by Lisu and Chinese traders.

In China, caterpillar fungus is used both as a cooking ingredient and for medicinal purposes.

Because this seasonal economic activity depends heavily on each year’s harvest, residents say that this year the fungus is scarce, and people in Putao’s eastern side are suffering losses due to road blockages and the absence of buyers.

News- Pilan U