Potential, economics and constraints of mushroom cultivation in Wayanad, Kerala

Mushroom production has enormous potential to improve food security and financial security, resulting in higher economic growth. The study was conducted in the farmer’s setting and laboratory of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Wayanad. The data for economic analysis and farmers’ constraints was the response data collated from Wayanad farmers who attended the training programmes on mushroom cultivation at KVK Wayanad. Experiments on mushrooms were conducted as FLDs and OFTs of KVK in the KVK laboratory and farmer’s setting. Experimental trials prove that the respondents prefer Pleurotus cystidiosus due to its higher yield, B: C ratio, and fewer days for bud initiation. The comparative economic analysis of the various agricultural enterprises revealed that value addition in mushrooms is highly profitable. The study also shows that milky mushroom production is not beneficial in the study area and banana pseudostem waste is a suitable substrate for mushroom cultivation. Results also unveil that unorganized market structure is the major constraint faced by the farmers.