Scope of Mushroom Business | General Introduction

Mushroom cultivation business got alot of scope in India. As you know that mushroom is good medicine for health problems specially blood related or cancer causing agent it kills them as it contains anti cancer elements. If you want to gain mass then mushroom is the best option because it is good for digestive system also.

And as business because in a country like India where alot of people are sick from obesity , heart problem, cancer, skin disease,etc mushroom cultivation is a great opportunity for them.

It's cultivation is not that hard if you want to start as a small business even then it could be started.

Mushroom farming is one of the most profitable agri-business that you can start with a low investment and less space. Mushroom cultivation in India is growing gradually as an alternative source of income for many people. Worldwide, US, China, Italy and Netherlands are the top producers of mushrooms. In India, Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of mushrooms followed by Tripura and Kerala.

In the last few years, the trend of farmers has increased rapidly towards mushroom cultivation, mushroom cultivation can become a source of a better income. Just a few things have to be kept in mind, good price of mushroom is available in the market.

Farmers in different states are making good profits from mushroom cultivation, with less space and less time, the cost in cultivation also seems to be very low, while the profits are many times more than the cost. For mushroom cultivation, farmers can take training at any Krishi Vigyan Kendra or Agricultural University.

Mushroom cultivation has been practiced in the world for thousands of years, while the history of mushroom production in India is almost three decades old. India has been witnessing a steady increase in mushroom production for 10-12 years. At present, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana are the major mushroom growing states at the trade level.

In our country mushrooms are used as food and medicine. Mushrooms have special importance all over the world due to their high level of food values like protein, carbohydrates, mineral salts, and vitamins. In India, mushrooms are known as khumb, khumbhi, bhamodi and bunchi etc. Mushrooms are used as the finest nutritious food in the country. Apart from this, mushroom papad, Jim’s supplementary powder, pickles, biscuits, toast, cookies, noodles, jam (fig mushroom), sauces, soups, kheer, bread, chips, sev, chakli, etc. are made. All these products can also be obtained online.

In order to promote mushroom cultivation, agricultural universities and other training institutions conduct training programs throughout the year to farmers on subjects such as mushroom cultivation method, mushroom seed production technology, master trainer training, mushroom production, and processing, etc. Women are being encouraged more for mushroom cultivation. Under this, the state government is also giving a 50 percent subsidy to the farmers of the state for the cost of mushroom cultivation.

Varieties of mushrooms grown in India are found around 10,000 species of edible mushrooms in the world, out of which 70 species are considered suitable for cultivation. Five types of edible mushrooms are cultivated commercially in the Indian environment. Which is described below.

White Button Mushroom

White Button Mushroom In India, the white button mushroom was first cultivated in low temperature places, but nowadays it is being cultivated elsewhere by adopting new techniques. The government is giving a lot of encouragement to the promotion of white button mushroom cultivation. S-11, TM-79, and Horst H-3 strains of mostly white button mushroom are cultivated in India. 22–26 ° C temperature is required for the spread of the fungus trap of button mushrooms. At this temperature, the fungal trap spreads very rapidly. Later, only 14-18°C is suitable for this. It can be grown easily in ventilated rooms, sheds, huts.


Dhingri (Oyster) Mushroom

Dhingri (Oyster) Mushroom can be cultivated throughout the year. For this, the optimum temperature is 20-30 degree centigrade and relative humidity is 70-90 percent. Wheat and paddy straw are used to grow oyster mushrooms. This mushroom is ready in 2.5 to 3 months. It is now being produced all over India. Different species of dhingri mushrooms require different temperatures, so this mushroom can be grown throughout the year. The total cost to grow 10 quintals of mushrooms is Rs 50 thousand. For this, a rack of 100 square feet has to be installed. Currently, the oyster mushroom is sold in the market at the rate of Rs 120 per kg to Rs 1,000 per kg. The price depends on the quality of the product.



Milky Mushroom

Milky mushroom in India is known as the summer mushroom, which is large and attractive in size. It is a tropical mushroom like the Paddy straw mushroom. It started as artificial farming in 1976 in West Bengal. Now, this milky mushroom has gained popularity in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. The climatic conditions of these states, including Orissa, are suitable for the cultivation of milky mushrooms from March to October. However, due to the preference given by farmers to farmers in some states, it could not be commercialized yet. At present, there are continuous efforts to popularize milky mushrooms in India like Paddy straw mushroom and Shitake mushroom.


Paddy straw Mushroom

Paddy straw mushroom is also known as ‘hot mushroom’, as it is a fast growing mushroom at relatively high temperatures. Its harvest cycle is completed in 3-4 weeks under favorable conditions. The Paddy straw mushroom has a good combination of all qualities such as taste, aroma, fragility, high levels of protein and vitamins, and mineral salts, which is why this mushroom has very high acceptability, and its popularity is nowhere less than the white button mushroom. It is grown in Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, etc. regions of India. Its growth requires a favorable temperature of 28–35 ° C and relative humidity of 60–70 percent.



Shittake Mushroom

Shittake Mushroom is an excellently edible and important medicinal mushroom. It can be easily grown for commercial and domestic use. It comes second in terms of total mushroom production in the world. Shitake mushroom is a very tasty and texture prized mushroom as compared to white button mushroom. It is rich in high quality protein and vitamins (especially vitamin B). It does not contain fats and sugars so it is considered best for diabetics and heart patients to consume.