Journal of Krishi Vigyan

Mushrooms are the edible fruit/fruiting bodies of the edible fungi having high nutritive and pharmaceutical values with delicacy. Oyster mushroom cultivation plays an important role to eliminate malnutrition, reduce poverty, additional income generation and generate employment opportunity for farm women in rural area. Mushroom is also efficient means for changing of agricultural waste into valuable protein source. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lunglei district conducted vocational training programmes on oyster mushroom cultivation. The study has shown that exposure to the training programme and method demonstration increased the skill and knowledge of rural farm women with regard to techniques of mushroom cultivation. A structured interview schedule was finalized and survey was done in 120 randomly selected rural farm women from two villages- Hnahthial and South Vanlaiphai to assess the social acceptability. The results reflected that the mushroom cultivation training has generated a remarkable attitude among the trained rural farm women and also increased the socio-economic level of beneficiaries who take on as a primary source of livelihood activity. It was also observed that economic viability of oyster mushroom production as mushroom yield varied from 140–150 kg per cycle from 100 blocks/cycle/unit with gross income ranged from Rs. 40000/- Rs. 45000/- having net profit of Rs. 30000/-- Rs. 32500/- within two months in twice to thrice harvest.