SRINAGAR: The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal, today visited Integrated Mushroom Development Centre (IMDC) Lalmandi Srinagar.
During the visit, the Director took round of different sections (spawn production centre pasteurized compost unit, mushroom research laboratory) of IMDC and interacted with the officers and scientists of the centre regarding the working of IMDC.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture said that IMDC has been upgraded with the vision to attract more and more unemployed youth of the valley towards mushroom cultivation.
He said that under the holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors, special attention has been given to the agriculture cottage industries like mushrooms and apiculture wherein the introduction of modern technologies during the cultivation of mushrooms has been adopted.
He said this year the centre (IMDC) will not only provide basic inputs like pasteurized compost and spawn among the mushroom farmers in addition to the technical assistance but will also double the last year’s targets.
Director Agriculture impressed upon the officers to raise the awareness about the economic importance of mushroom cultivation. He said this is a cash crop and plays an important role in contributing to the overall income of the concerned farmers.
Project Coordinator Mushroom Tabssum Naz briefed Director regarding various activities being carried out by the centre. She said that the IMDC has been commissioned to make available quality Germplasm which serves as a basic input for mushroom cultivation.
Later, the Director Agriculture visited Kitchen gardens Lalmandi Srinagar and took stock of preparations for the distribution of vegetable seedlings of different crops among the farmers in the coming days.
