Mushrooming in the Valley

With increasing demand in the local market, mushroom cultivation is picking up fast in Kashmir. Thousands of quintals of high quality mushroom are now being grown across the Valley.

Officials of the agriculture department attribute this to the introduction of low-cost technology and government-sponsored schemes. Good dividends have drawn more farmers towards mushroom farming. The state produced 5,051quintals of mushroom last year. A separate Department of Mushroom Development has been established to increase the production.

"We have seen an increasing interest among farmers in mushroom cultivation since 2008 because they are becoming aware about its benefits and the easy schemes available for them. There is also an increase in the local demand," says Abid Khan, a mushroom cultivator in the agriculture department. "Earlier, people in the Valley were not interested in mushroom cultivation due to lack of subsidies and government schemes. But with new schemes being introduced, people are coming forward," says Khan, adding mushroom needs low investment and less labour due to which it becomes a source of additional income for the farmers.

Among the schemes introduced by the government is the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (National Agriculture Development Programme), under which local growers are being provided Rs 30,000 per 100 trays of mushroom. Each tray grows 4-5 kg.

Mushrooms are not grown in open fields like other crops but they require open fields for preparing the compost. The compost is then spread on wooden trays, which are installed in a closed room where a particular temperature is maintained. Hundreds of trays could be deposited in a single room.

The maximum temperature needed for growing mushrooms should ranges between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius. According to the growers, Valley's temperature is usually suitable for the crop, but precautions should be taken because the temperature may go up or down sometimes.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Gold price up in futures trade on global cues

Gold price steadies after 1% gain, ETFs at 4-year low

India's cheap food plans to prove costly for government

Gold, silver prices tumble on sluggish demand, global cues