Setting up a Mushroom Farm - Factors to look for

What factors to look for while setting up a mushroom farm - 

1. What kind of mushrooms should be grown? In market white button mushrooms come to mind when you talk of mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms too have a small niche. So, what is the point of talking of any other mushroom except white button mushroom.
2. Location - For growing button mushrooms, temperature requirement of 16 degrees to 25 degree C is there,therefore whole of north India is suitable. One or two winter crops can be taken without cooling. Climate control would be much cheaper than rest of the country.
3. Raw materials - Main raw material is straw of wheat ,found abundantly in upper part of India. Paddy straw can also be used but wheat straw is easy to use.Chicken manure from poultry farms is other ingredient to make mushroom compost.Ground water availability is another requirement.
4. Market - Connectivity with big cities by road or railways is essential. Besides going to mandies, direct sellig to big stores is another growing option. Having a contract with a big food processing unit (canning or frozen) for part production is also lucrative.
5. Electricity - Availability and tariff is another factor to be considered for a climate controlled mushroom farm with continuous production.
6. Labour - Availability of local or migrant labour.
7. Staff - Like any other business, personnal requirement should be considered. Hiring an experienced grower and a market strategy are important aspects.
8. Other factors - Many states are giving subsidies to set up agri-based projects. Cold stores can be converted into mushroom growing units.

Why grow Mushrooms?

In nature, like other fungi, mushrooms are also decomposers, essential to recycle organic wastes and therefore essential part of ecosystem. in commercial mushroom growing, we decompose straw and other byproducts of agriculture and let mushrooms grow over it under controlled climate. We are thus helping nature do its job.

From hobby club, to side business of a farmer, medium sized mushroom farm producing one to two tons a day to very big farms exporting canned, freeze-dried and frozen mushrooms to US and Europe. Mushroom growing is being taken at all levels. This is ideal for rural youth.

"M" stand for mushroom and for money. Only if logistics are right and required skill is developed to produce selective compost and to stimulate growth. Perishable nature of the crop makes the grower to pick, pack and send to market or processing unit in time.

Land requirement is not much as mushrooms are grown in tiers and barren land can be used.

Mushrooms, also referred as" The Perfect Food" are nature’s gift to human beings. In a country like ours, with a large part of economically weak populations, we must encourage mushroom growing and therefore eating of this rich source of digestible proteins to counter malnutrition. The food of future are mushrooms (fungi) and spirulina (algae).These super foods are the most exciting nutritional discoveries on earth.

Extensive mushroom cultivation can open vistas of employment opportunities in rural areas as exampled in China and Indonesia.

Mushroom Industry, the present scene in India

The food markets, worldwide are growing at a very high rate as more and more families are spending a lot of money on food. As people are getting health conscious, in an era of easily available information in media, demand for mushrooms is on a sharp increase.

India produces about one thousand tons of mushrooms per annum, of which 50% is produced in Haryana itself. A mini revolution has already begun in villages of Haryana and we also want to become a part of Growing India. Mushrooms have already penetrated the kitchens of India and mushroom dishes are integral part on menus of parties and eating joints. The consumption is increasing at a rate of 15% for the last four years.

Since mushroom production is a highly labor intensive affair, its cost of production is very high in developed countries. India has big potential for exports. There is no dearth of raw materials with plenty of poultry farms and huge areas in wheat growing. Improved infrastructure, faster means of communication and marketing as a fresh commodity and better purchase power of people. Example of China is before us, where 50 million people directly or indirectly are engaged in mushroom production and business. China has become a leading mushroom producer and consumer in world. It is an important cottage industry in integrated rural development program leading to the economic betterment of small farmers, landless laborers and weak sections of communities. Total production of China in 2007 was 14000*1000 tons followed by Korea and Taiwan.      

In our country, it is already developing as an important cash crop with export potential.   

Mushroom - An Excellent Food

Mushrooms - a delicious health food that has been valued throughout the world as food and medicine for thousand of years.

Mushrooms are enjoyed for their flavor and texture. The flavor intensifies during cooking and their texture holds up well to stir frying and sauting. Besides being the combination of mushroom-peas, popular dishes are soups, sandwiches. Grilled and tandoori mushrooms are served as snacks. In Europe and USA, mushroom extracts are being used in nutraceutical products and sport drinks.

Mushrooms contain 80 to 90% water and are very low in calories. They have very little sodium and fats. Ten percent of their weight is fiber and therefore they are ideal food for persons following weight management program.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of Potassium, a mineral that helps lower the elevated BP and reduce risk f stroke. One big sized mushroom has even more Potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushroom provides 20 to 40% of daily value of Copper, a mineral that has cardio protective properties. Iron is a must for growing children and women.

Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect the human body from the risk of prostate cancer. Button mushroom possess substances that inhibit the activity of aromatase (an enzyme involved in estrogen production) and 5-alpha-reductase (an enzyme that convert testosterones to DHT). It is well proven that mushrooms reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. An extract of button mushrooms decreased the cell proliferation and decrease the size of tumor size.

FAO have recognized mushrooms as a food contributing protein to the communities depending largely on cereals like our country. Mushroom is different from other vegetables for being rich in folic acid and vitamin B-12, absent in others.