PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Pantnagar
GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Dhakrani organised a one-day training programme in mushroom production as part of an important initiative aimed at increasing the income of the tribal community. This programme was part of the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) project funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the university sources said. The training was conducted in Shahpur, Kalyanpur area under Vikasnagar block of Dehradun district. The main objective of this programme was to economically empower the local tribal families by providing them information on mushroom cultivation, management techniques and value addition.
Inaugurating the programme, the project coordinator, Shweta Chaudhary said that mushroom production is no longer limited to farming, but has become a growing entrepreneurial and self-employment opportunity. She explained marketing strategies, modern packaging methods and various government startup support schemes. She emphasised that if farmers adopt scientific techniques, mushroom cultivation can generate substantial income even in limited space and at low cost.
The technical session of the programme was conducted by mushroom expert, Shubham Badola. He trained farmers on the entire process of oyster and button mushroom cultivation, including seed selection, compost preparation, bag filling, temperature and humidity control, pest and disease management, and harvesting. He also explained that mushrooms could be used to produce numerous value-added products such as pickles, soups, powders and nuggets, which could further increase farmers’ income.
