Market Linked Technology of Mushroom Production for Subsidiary Income and Nutritional Security of Farm Families of Uttar Dinajpur District of West Bengal

The small-scale mushroom production represents an opportunity for farming community interested in an additional income and is an ideal option specifically for those without much land. In Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, mushroom cultivation is becoming more popular these days, among farmers and farmwomen as an easy and reliable method to increase their family income. Farmers initiated their cultivation on a small scale, in each one's homestead and after gaining confidence many of them expanded their cultivation by making investments for constructing separate sheds. Now five of them had grown to an entrepreneurial level of making around 50-70kg of mushroom per day and were selling at price of Rs.80/to Rs.100/kg. Moreover, they had also converted their produce to value added products like dried mushroom, pickles and cutlets which fetches additional revenue for them. On an average, they were earning an additional income of Rs.25, 000/-to 30, 000/-month. Initially the SHGs, Farmers’ Clubs and individual farmers started producing fresh mushrooms and sell it in the local markets as well as in big markets through middlemen. Later on all the SHGs, Farmers’ Clubs and individual farmers were brought under single umbrella to form one Producers Organization with joint initiative of NABARD and KVK by this process total daily production of mushroom from each group picked up and channelized to bigger market at Siliguri, Nepal, Bhutan etc. resulting better price thereby ensuring more net return to the individual groups. The spent substrate along with cow dung and other agri-waste materials converted into compost and applied directly back to the soil.