India currently possess all the required parameters and elements that is important to grow mushroom in large scale.
Before we begin with that, a story needs to be told about this remarkable resident of Siliguri, West Bengal who cleared the path a little.
As a result of her husband’s passing, Fulrida Ekka was left with no other choice but to look for a source of income to aid her living.
She found mushroom farming while looking around for ways to make money. She got going with aid from the Live Life Happily organisation in India, which promotes rural development. Currently, she makes about Rs. 7,000 each month by selling two to three sacks of her mushroom crop each day.
Mrs. Ekka says, “It’s a sight of happiness when I see it growing because I know now, me and my family will not sleep on an empty stomach.”
Large bags that dangle from the ceiling are used to cultivate the white flower mushrooms. Mrs. Ekka typically keeps 10 in her home, which provides around 48 bags of mushrooms each month.
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Now, coming back to the original point, Mr. Rouf Hamza Boda says, “India has all the required elements for becoming a superpower in mushroom production. India has all the required elements for becoming a superpower in mushroom production.” Mr. Hamza has spent over 20 years identifying numerous varieties of mushrooms in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Where lies the major problem? The fact that despite the favourable conditions, only 2% of the world’s mushrooms are produced in India is wildly concerning. On the contrary, 75% of the world’s mushrooms are produced in China.
The fact that many Indians dislike eating mushrooms and consider them “weird and poisonous,” according to Mr. Boda, could be one of the issues. According to him, not a lot of study has been done on identifying edible wild mushrooms.
He claims that barriers to increasing consumption include ignorance about mushrooms’ health benefits and the low cost of mushroom farming.
For those ready to take a chance and build a mushroom empire, there is plenty of room to begin and expand.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature Image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: BBC, User walls, Quick Area
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This post is tagged under: india, entrepreneur, mushroom, production, agriculture, indian market, west bengal
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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