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Farmers in the western Himalayas, already reeling from the impacts of climate change and increasing out-migration, now have to contend with another threat: wild animals attacking crops. Himalaya Dhungana has encountered many problems while working on a government-run herb farm in Nepal. "There are wild animals that eat these expensive flowers," Dhungana told VICE World News, referring to her prized crop: chamomile. "Sometimes, there are problems with irrigation."
Incidents with TikTok and YouTube creators on famous landmarks are leading some sites to ban violators or anyone looking to increase their following by using hallowed backgrounds in their videos.
The latest example comes from Nepal, where officials and site administrators have banned potential influencers from accessing religious and historical attractions such as the Lumbini Buddhist pilgrimage site, Kathmandu's Boudhanath stupa, and the Ram Janaki and Gadhimai temples.
“Making TikTok playing loud music creates a nuisance for pilgrims from all over the world who come to the birthplace of Gautama Buddha,” Sanuraj Shakya of the Lumbini Development Trust told the rest of the world. “We have prohibited doing TikTok in and around the sacred garden, where the main temples are located.”
A video search of famous places on social platforms reveals a number of short videos of mostly young women dancing through holy places. Surveillance cameras and security guards have been deployed at various sites in Nepal to catch and expel offenders.
“These TikTok influencers come to our chamomile fields and make viral videos to earn money,” said Dhungana, who manages the farms at Herbs Production and Processing Co Ltd in Nepal's Sunsari district. In April, the Dhungana farm experienced more than $20,000 worth of losses, much of it due to crop damage. Dhungana said it all started in the second week of March when a local woman's video of herself in a chamomile field went viral.
In a viral video on Facebook, a farmer is seen yelling at intruders for trampling the fields or pulling chamomile flowers. This, is while the person taking the video laughs. In other videos, content creators are seen making fun of farmers trying to get them off the farm. "They don't listen to us, but fight with us and put videos of those fights on social media," Dhungana said.
Nepalese authorities have been banning TikTok creators from various sites, including tourist and religious ones, after many complained they were being a nuisance.
Chamomile cultivation is an important part of the country's agricultural sector, involving an overwhelming 66 per cent of its population, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Agriculture contributes a third of the country's GDP and its economy. Plants like chamomile provide a great return on investment for farmers and the government. It has also lifted many farmers out of poverty.
"These people don't seem to understand how valuable chamomile is to us," Dhungana said. "This is not just another ordinary plant."
Over the past decade, many farmers have converted their fields to growing herbs like chamomile to earn more money. Growing chamomile, farmers say, is not very complicated, and the government supports farmers by giving away seeds.
“Before, I used to plant rice and wheat. Even after working so hard, he could barely earn enough to survive,” Sher Bahadur Bista, a farmer from rural Shamshergunj district, told Nepalese media outlet MyRepublica. “
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