Breaking the mold: analyzing key constraints faced by mushroomgrowers in Northern India

Abstract

Mushroom farming is an emerging and profitable agribusiness in India due to its high nutritional value, low land requirement, and increasing consumer demand. It promotes efficient agricultural waste utilization and provides employment opportunities, especially in rural areas. However, despite its potential, mushroom growers face several constraints that hinder productivity and profitability. A study was conducted to identify and prioritize these challenges using Garrett’s ranking method. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering production, financial, marketing, labour, institutional, and infrastructure constraints from 50 mushroom growers in major button mushroom producing states Bihar and Haryana. Mushroom farming faces major constraints, with capital-intensive investment, low market prices, and high raw material costs being the most significant. Financial instability arises due to high investment costs, inadequate working capital, difficult loan procedures, and frequent price fluctuations. Labour shortages, high wage rates, and lack of skilled manpower, along with inadequate infrastructure like compost units and post-harvest facilities hinder efficiency of mushroom farms. Production challenges such as disease and pest management, non-availability of quality inputs, and improper spent mushroom substrate (SMS) disposal affect sustainability. Overall major constraints are capital intensive nature of the enterprise, low market price, high cost of raw materials, inadequate market information, and lack of input facilities.