Mushroom value chain: A novel approach empowering women through production and value-addition

Abstract

Growing mushrooms has the potential to be a very lucrative agricultural enterprise that tackles a number of contemporary issues, including resource use, creation of ecologically conscious jobs, sustainability, erratic weather, and nutritional security. Since most farmers in India are small scale, marginal landowners with little money, mushroom production could prove to be a blessing because it uses agricultural waste as a growing medium and requires less money, land, and water. In addition to increasing their availability nationwide, increasing mushroom production and value-addition would also boost the income of small and marginal growers and lessen nutritional insecurity. The nutritional and therapeutic potential of mushrooms are enormous, but the production and consumption of mushrooms in our country is relatively new. Many of the challenges that mushroom growers face, such as a lack of technical expertise, poor infrastructure, an unorganized market, costly inputs, etc., still require adequate research and additional legislative solutions that are specific to the needs of Indian mushroom growers.