Mushroom production in Jammu and Kashmir is showing a notable increase and is at all-time high. Mushroom production is coming as new cash crop for J&K.
According to agricultural department officials, output of mushrooms has reached an all-time high in J&K over the past two years to the point that it is starting to take off as a new cash crop in the union territory.
Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal, director of agriculture in Kashmir said that although they are one of Kashmir’s largest mushroom users, all of this would come from outside and added that since then, the production has multiplied during the previous two years.
“From an earlier single crop at some 40-50 units, the production has increased to the extent that we produce two major crops in a year at some 1,500 units,” said Choudhary.
He further said that they hope to improve livelihood of young people by making the mushroom entrepreneurs.
He added that mushrooms are grown all over the world, but Kashmir produces high-quality mushrooms since the region’s climate is excellent for their growth.
According to the government, mushroom production is a focus area in J&K under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (National Agriculture Development Programme), and producers are given high-quality seeds and instruction in scientific cultivation methods. The administration’s 50% subsidy as well as technological expertise is making cultivation profitable.
Three varieties of mushrooms grown in the Union Territory include button, milky and dingri, which are grown either naturally or under a controlled atmosphere.
In the Jammu division, the story is similar with the consumption of mushrooms multiplying owing to the huge number of yatris (including Vaishno Devi) that visit the region.
Joint director, Apiculture and Mushroom Development, RK Hitashi said that new growers have increased which led to increase in production and added that mushrooms here are grown under a controlled atmosphere as well as under a natural system as they are temperature and humidity dependent.