Mushroom seed packets to be produced for the first time in city
Mysore, Mar. 11
Mushroom seed packets are being prepared in Mysore for the first time in the State, said Dr. M.S. Raju, Senior Assistant Director of the Horticulture Department, State Zone.
He was delivering the presidential address at the day-long training programme on mushroom cultivation held under the aegis of Laboratory Development Scheme of the Horticulture Department at Kukkarahalli lake here recently.
“A total of 15,000 packets weighing 250 grams and costing Rs. 10 each will be distributed among unemployed youth, women and farmers,” he said and added that the protein-rich mushrooms have great demand within the country and in foreign markets, fetching good revenue for the farmers.
“A week-long training in mushroom cultivation will be provided in Mysore city itself,” he said and added that along with the Watermelon Mela and Mango Mela, Mushroom Mela too will be held in the next month.
“Nutrition can be increased by consuming mushroom as a regular diet. Apart from being protein-rich, it helps in curing anemia, reduces body fat and controls diabetes,” said Dr. Raju.
Prof. Janardhan of the Department of Botany, Mysore University, speaking on the occasion, said that mushroom can be easily cultivated as a commercial crop using moist paddy straw. Mushrooms are the fruit-bearing parts of fungus whose extracts are used for manufacturing anti-biotic drugs, tonics, etc.
“In the future days of climate change and scarcity of agricultural land, growing food crops using less land and less manure with less effort is a challenge,” he said and urged farmers to take up mushroom cultivation.
Information Dept. Asst. Director G. Chandrakantha launched the training programme.
Asst. Horticulture Officer Narayan welcomed, Assistant Horticulture Officer (Technical) Pooja and others were present.
More than 100 participants of the training programme were given a demonstration of mushroom cultivation.
source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> General News / March 11th, 2013