Mushroom cultivation can boost women farmers’ income, help fight malnutrition

In Jharkhand, mushrooms are cultivated organically and are widely consumed by the local people. Mushroom is highly perishable i.e., their shelf life is shorter since they lack chlorophyll and have heterotrophic mode of nutrition. They live on dead matter as they are saprophytes and vary widely in shape and size. Mushroom cultivation enterprise can also play a significant role in alleviation of poverty through generation of additional employment in rural areas. The different types of mshroom are:
Paddy Straw Mushroom
White Button Mushroom
Portobello Mushroom
Oyster Mushroom
Paddy straw mushroom is an edible mushroom of the tropics and subtropics which is also known as warm mushroom as it grows in relatively high temperature. They were first cultivated in China and were later introduced in countries like Malaysia, Philippines, and other South-East Asian countries by Chinese traders and travellers. In India, it was cultivated in early 1940’s and approximately 19 edible species have been recorded but cultivation method of only three have been devised. It is one of the fastest growing mushrooms and under favourable conditions, their total crop cycle is completed within a month. They grow in temperatures ranging from 35-40 degree Celsius.

Nutritional value of mushrooms

Mushroom helps to eliminate malnutrition among people having cereals as staple food. They are low-calorie food, also known as vegetable meat or white vegetables, and are loaded with various health benefits. They are a rich source of protein, vitamin, minerals and fibres and are recognized as an important part of any diet. Mushrooms have low starch content, no cholesterol and have low calories. The anti-inflammatory properties in mushroom have improved the efficiency of the human immune system. They also contain medicinal properties, including anti-HIV, anti-cancer activities, hypocholestemic, hypolipidermic and antihypertension effects. Mushrooms also have other health benefits. The folic acid present in them helps in curing anemia and mushrooms are also suitable for people suffering from diabetes, obesity and hyper-tension.

Potential of mushrooms cultivation and value addition in Jharkhand

Due to the limited time of availability of mushroom, cultivation of mushrooms has a lot of potential in the state. Approximately, 84 per cent of the farmers in the state are small and marginal and paddy straw mushroom cultivation can help them in securing an additional income by utilizing accessible resources such as paddy straw. As per the assessment, the availability of paddy straw indicates that nearly 38 per cent of the total paddy straw produced in the state remains unutilized. The different value added products like dried mushroom, mushroom powder and pickles are being prepared by them. A sizable amount of the processed products are being marketed in the local market, while a part of the dehydrated products are being consumed in the
farm families.
To address the need of entrepreneurship pertaining to women in rural areas of Jharkhand, Girl Power project, implemented by the All India Institute of Local Self Government and funded by the European Union, conducted a three-day training program on mushroom production and value addition, as it was among the products identified for training and entrepreneurship promotion among rural women during the baseline survey carried out in 10 districts of Jharkhand. The three-day training program was conducted in Konar Village Extension, Churchu block, Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, which concluded on October 2. In this training programme, 39 female beneficiaries participated. Jharkhand Mahila Utthan, a CSO working in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand, facilitated the training. Nilam Besra, Secretary, Jharkhand Mahila Utthan, welcomed the guests, resource persons, and participants, and addressed the need of the programme. The Girl Power team then discussed the objective of the project, purpose of training, and shared the expected outcome of the project with the beneficiaries. The training session was started by Ruben Lakra, a certified mushroom trainer. He stressed upon why mushroom cultivation could become an important subsidiary occupation for small and landless farmers by helping them enhance their income and livelihood. He further said that mushroom is an indoor crop that can be cultivated by utilizing vertical spaces and involves low-cost techniques. With the change in lifestyle and people becoming accustomed to healthy food habits, the consumption of mushrooms is increasing at a faster pace. One of the main reasons for this is that it has an abundance of health benefits. On the second and third day of the training, Sangeeta Nayak, a certified mushroom trainer, explained about the origin, characteristics, importance and cultivation practices for production of paddy straw mushroom to the beneficiaries.

Cultivation practices for production of paddy straw mushroom

Three-inch long paddy straws are soaked in clean and cold water for 12 hours. Then, using a chemical method, the substrate is soaked in a solution of formalin, Bavistin, and water. This helps to suppress the growth and multiplication of moulds in the substratum. After this, the straws are kept in a slanting manner upside down to drain off excess water in a shadow place. Later, platforms are made using straws in which seeds are sprinkled and kept in single-use polythene bags. Some holes are made in the poly-bags for the mushrooms to sprout. After this, the bags are tied and kept in a humid place. The straw is covered and the bags are hung with a string at a gap of 30 cm from each other. Within 30 days, small growth appears and the first flush of mushrooms is harvested after five to six days. Thus, within four to five weeks, mushrooms will be available for marketing. The trainer also taught the beneficiaries the complete method of harvesting. Further, the trainers also explained that the mushrooms should be kept in a clean house away from insects and rats which can damage them and also can cause infections, if consumed.

Training outcomes

After the training, the beneficiaries will be able to select important types of mushroom for cultivation; produce value added products like mushroom pickle, powder, papad and other edible items; and effectively manage small business enterprises based on mushroom production and value addition. Thus, mushroom based enterprises will provide vast opportunities for empowering rural and urban women through cultivation, production of value added products and their marketing.