Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

The youth of Uttar Pradesh can now build a promising business out of mushrooms as the state government is training them in mushroom cultivation, processing and marketing. A training programme titled ‘Mushroom Production and Value Addition’ was organised last week between August 2 and August 5, by the Regional Food Research and Analysis Center of the Horticulture Department in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The workshop, led by the sector experts, attracted 41 young people from across the state. 

Chandrakant Singh from Sewri village in the Ghazipur area in eastern Uttar Pradesh, who received the training, was very excited. 

“We learnt how to grow mushrooms, dry them and process them into making chocolates, laddoos, cookies, mushroom burgers and pickles,” the 38-year-old told Gaon Connection.

He said he would carry back what he had learnt at the three-day programme to the Farmer Producer Organisation at Ghazipur. “We will provide training in mushroom production and processing to our fellow farmers. Every member will grow mushrooms at home, add value to the product, and market it,” he stated.

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The fact that the mushrooms take no more than 20 days to be harvested makes it even more attractive, said the trainees. “While other crops take three to four months to grow, vegetables also take twenty five to sixty days…,” Virendra Shukla from Barabanki district told Gaon Connection. He said the training would help initiate mushroom cultivation in his village. “We were told that the mushroom is a superfood, high in nutrients,” Shukla added. 

“This training will provide the youth with a new direction. Mushroom farming is a lucrative enterprise that can be started on a modest scale to maximise profitability,” RK Tomar, director of horticulture and food processing department, Uttar Pradesh, told Gaon Connection. He said mushroom cultivation had a bright future. 

“Last year we had trained five hundred people in Lucknow alone, this time there were forty one people from across the state and we will conduct another training session that will start from August 26,” Tomar said. 

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According to the horticulture director, the nutrients found in mushrooms are beneficial to the human body as they are an excellent source of protein and could play a big role in tackling the menace of malnutrition. 

The trainees learnt about cultivation of oyster and button mushrooms and were also introduced to the various ways mushrooms could be utilised.  They could be dehydrated or canned and used in making soups, pickles, biscuits, muffins, baby food and in various dishes.  

Trainees received practical demonstrations of the technical know-how of production.

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SK Chauhan, director of the regional food research and analysis center, said, “Mushroom cultivation and items produced from it can be sold everywhere, at markets, malls, supermarkets, schools, gyms, and offices.” People can also market mushrooms online, he added. “The horticulture department provides technical information and recommendations on the execution of this venture,” he stated. 

The cost for this three-day course was Rs 700 per participant.

Read the story in Hindi.