PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) Eastern Kentucky's already diminishing supply of wild ginseng root could be further curtailed by a drought that has left the region seven inches below normal in annual rainfall.
The state's ginseng gatherers, allowed to begin legally harvesting when the season opened last week, report that dry conditions have caused many of the plants' berries to shrivel before producing seeds that enable the crop to sustain itself.
"The berries won't mature, they'll die and drop off before seeds are produced," said Daymon Morgan, a member of the Leslie County-based Mountain Tradition Cooperative, which raises and sell herbs.
Kentucky is the nation's No. 1 producer of ginseng, which is touted as a cure-all in Asia. Worldwide, it's popular in herbal medicines, foods and tonics.
The summer drought's full effect on ginseng won't be fully seen for 18 more months, which is how long it takes the seeds to germinate and grow into a plant that can be found by harvesters, said Terry Jones, a horticulture extension agent at the University of Kentucky.
This year, however, the lack of rain is causing ginseng leaves to dry up and turn yellow earlier, which will make the endangered plant harder for gatherers to see.
While the drought will affect the ginseng's ability to reproduce, Jones said the biggest threat to the plant is still people, not weather.
"Droughts have come and gone before, and the (long-term) threat deals more with destruction of habitat and with excessive digging," Jones said.
Prior to the recent collapse of Asian markets, dried ginseng was selling for more than $300 per pound, and its sale contributed up to $11 million annually to Kentucky's economy, Jones said.
This demand drove many gatherers to collect ginseng that was young and hadn't yet produced seeds. Logging also contributed to a loss of habitat for ginseng.
Last year, prices dropped drastically primarily because Asian consumers were not buying the amount of gginseng they once did, said Chris Kring, a state agriculture official who oversees Kentucky's ginseng harvest.
Last year, Kentucky's ginseng sales were only $4 million, Jones said.
It's unclear if the ginseng market will improve this year, Kring said. Dealers can begin purchasing ginseng Sept. 1.
In order to protect the nation's ginseng supply, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife recently banned exports of wild ginseng roots less than five years in age. Ginseng can live up to 60 years.
Russell Walters, 86, of Pikeville, has spent his life in the Appalachian Mountains identifying herbs and learning about what they can do for a person. One of his prized possessions is a ginseng root resembling a cowboy on a horse.
He's yet to go look for ginseng this season though it's still too hot, he said.
But when he does venture into the mountains, Walters said he's not too concerned about the drought's effect on the ginseng.
"It's in the shady places, the sun don't shine on it," he said.
SOURCE : The Tennessean1999.08.23
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