Boosting Rural Livelihoods: BHU Conducts Mushroom Production Training | Varanasi News

VARANASI: A training programme on mushroom production was organised for the capacity building of rural youth through entrepreneurship development at the Agricultural Science Center, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Barkachha in Mirzapur district on Friday.
The programme aimed at livelihood creation and income enhancement for landless youth in the Vindhya region. The rural women from various areas of Mirzapur district participated and learned the techniques of cultivating oyster mushrooms on rice straw.
Jay P. Rai, the Principal Investigator of the project, highlighted the role of oyster mushrooms in combating protein malnutrition among women and children in rural areas of the Vindhya region. Given the wide availability of rice straw in rural areas of the district, maximum profit can be achieved with minimal investment through the cultivation of this mushroom.
He said that in contrast to button mushrooms, which have a short shelf life and require significant time, labour, and financial investment, oyster mushrooms can be dried and stored for a long time.
Dried mushroom powder can be used as a thickener and flavour enhancer in vegetables and is available for sale in markets. There are also many possibilities for its preservation, the most popular being pickling. Thus, it does not face the perishability issue of button mushrooms, ensuring the producer’s income is secure.
Rai explained that the production process is very simple and the necessary materials are locally available. During the training, participants were familiarised with the process by having them fill bags and do spawning (seeding) themselves, and the seeded bags were given to them to take home for mushroom production.
For participants interested in scaling up production, Rai assured them of the availability of PP bags, spawn, formaldehyde, and carbendazim at purchase price from the centre and emphasised the need for widespread promotion.
Rai further said that this project, aimed at entrepreneurship development and livelihood creation among rural youth in the Vindhya region, will aid in the development of this resource-poor area and inspire rural youth towards self-employment.