UPPER DIR: A small root-like herbal plant locally known as ‘Matar Zela’ and found on mountain tops in Upper Dir has become an alternative source of income for mushroom dealers who were disappointed at the decline in mushroom business.

Local people say that ‘Matar Zela’ is a common plant found in mountainous areas, including Thal, Kumrat, Lamoti, Gawaldi, Patrak and Atrango.

Said Rasool, a resident of Patrak, said that they used to search for mushrooms in the mountains in rainy season and only few people would search for the herbal plant to use it as medicine.

Say ‘Matar Zela’ plant found on mountain tops is in high demand

He said that after decline in mushroom business a few of their business partners in Dir asked about ‘Matar Zela’ that whether it was found in their area or not. He said that the local traders were told that the plant could be a new source of income for them.

Khaist Mohammad, a resident of Thal, said that ‘Matar Zela’ was found in abundance in Dir compared to mushrooms. He said that it was a difficult job to harvest the plant, as they had to climb high mountains for getting it. He said that the plant could be found throughout the year unlike mushrooms.

Azeem, a mushroom dealer in Dir Bazaar, said that they bought ‘Matar Zela’ for Rs3,000 per kilogramme from the local people and then supply it to big markets in Peshawar, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. He said that they did not know for what purpose it was used, but dealers from Peshawar and other areas had told them that it was used in different homeopathic medicines.

Another businessman, Badshahudin, said that selling ‘Matar Zela’ was more profitable than mushroom business because it did not decompose like mushrooms and it could be stored for years.

Salahuddin, a dealer in Dir Bazaar, said that they had suffered big losses in mushroom business, but now they were earning additional money from ‘Matar Zela’ business.

Published in Dawn September 18th, 2016