Skill development training on mushroom farming for income generation

Skill development training on mushroom cultivation was organized to unemployed youth, farmers and farm women by ICAR KVK, Mandya with the objective of providing employment and micro entrepreneurship. The present study revealed that the trainees differed in their socio-economic status based on age, education, occupation, and landholding. Out of 283 trained participants, 46 established mushroom production units. Irrespective of the components considered to test the knowledge level regarding mushroom production technologies of the trainees varied from 2.12 to 34.62 per cent in pretraining where as in post training recorded 42.04 to 85.87 per cent. However, change in knowledge level varied between 26.14 to 74.91per cent. An economic analysis of five units revealed that the average income of Rs.35,335/- earned by selling 3.87q per crop. Proper training and guidance to the farmers is essential and would help the interested growers to sustain and earn their livelihood.