CHITRAL: A wild vegetable locally known as `Manghoor` and found abundantly on forested hillsides across Lower Chitral has become a significant source of income for hundreds of households as the unemployed youth collect and sell it in the market.

The season of the vegetable lasts for two months during which the youth earn substantial amount of money to support their families.

The vegetable endemic to Chitral has gained popularity in major cities of the country where it is marketed on a largescale while the inflating demand produces extra earning opportunities for the youth here as they leave their homes to the hillsides before dawn and return by dusk with bags full of the vegetable.

As per data available with the department of non-timber forest products (NTFP), nearly30 tonnes are collected annually, engaging over 300 collectors directly and involving more than 800 individuals in its value chainonly in the central region extending from the buffer zone of Chitral Gol National Park to the Kalash valley of Birir.Ajaz Ahmed, assistant director NTFP, said that botanically known as eremurus stenophyllus, Manghoor is one of the most important wild vegetables collected by the local communities for their household consumption as well as earning handsome amounts of money to supplement their incomes.

He added that the average price for Manghoor reaches up to Rs300 per kilogramme in the local market, and during the collection season, a single household can earn more than Rs100,000.

`This wild vegetable not only supports rural livelihoods but also contributes to the conservation of forests. `Our department is working on building the capacity of collectors for sustainable harvesting practices, Mr Ahmed said.

He said that Chitral was rich in non-timber forest products, which not only increase the pastoral economy but also enhance food security, while in the post-Covid-19 scenario the demand for organic and forestbased food sources has grown significantly After its season sets in, Manghoor outclasses all other vegetables in the market due to its large-scale consumption in every household on almost daily basis cherished by the elders as well as the children for its special flavour and taste cooked in differentways and styles.

Vendors in the local bazaars affirmed the growing popularity of the vegetable and said that the customers preferred it over other vegetables from lowland districts.

Juma Khan, a fruit and vegetable seller in Atalig Bazaar, mentioned that the demand had grown beyond Chitral as it was sent to the cities like Peshawar and Islamabad.

He said that he sent many bags of the vegetable daily to the markets of these cities during the three months of the season. `I have also engaged five to six persons to harvest it from the hillsides of the valleys of Lot Koh, Chitral Gol, Rumbur, Bumburate, Sheshi Koh and Golen.

`It`s organic, has medicinal value, and people love to eat it as they are more conscious about healthy eating after the Covid19 pandemic,` he said.

Hakeem Mujeebullah, a practitioner of herbal medicines in Shahi Bazaar, said that Manghoor had myriad of medicinal values when it was simply boiled, fried and consumed with bread or rice.

He said that during the season, the vegetable was dried in every household to be consumed during the winter season as it carried a lot of calories while a number of herbal medicines were also prepared from it.