SRINAGAR: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi Saturday said that amid changing trends of food habits in the society, the demand and market value for various agricultural commodities including mushroom has increased manifold.
He said this while chairing a meeting regarding feasibility of having mushroom clusters, canning and marketing linkage of mushrooms, opening of retail outlets at district level, awareness regarding mushroom cultivation, formation of women self help groups in mushroom and requirement of pasteurized compost and spawn for demonstration cum training centres/private growers.
Director said that mushroom production can not only contribute to the domestic consumption but it has commercial dimensions also besides it has a huge potential to improve socio economic status of small and marginal farmers. He impressed upon the concerned to ensure that all the innovative steps are being taken to promote mushroom sector and urged upon the mushroom experts and scientists of the department involved with the scheme to organize special training programmes on scientific cultivation of mushrooms for the unemployed.
Project Coordinator Mushroom apprised the Director of the fact there has been a record breaking yield and production in the year 2019-20, it was also emphasized that educated unemployed youth of valley need to be roped in for taking up the mushroom cultivation for earning their livelihood.
He also informed the meeting that steps are a foot to provide the interested mushroom growers with pasteurized compost and spawn on subsidized rates.
Earlier Director held video conference with all Chief Agriculture Officers of the Department regarding various ongoing agricultural activities and progress on all farmer friendly schemes.
Among others Project Coordinator Mushrooms, Mushroom Research Assistants (IMDC), Mushroom Development Assistants (IMDC) and other concerned officers attended the meeting.
