Mushroom Cultivation Best Bet For Marginal Farmers, Unemployed Youths

Himachal This Week, Palampur

Indian agriculture will continue to be main strength of Indian economy. We have achieved food security today due to a variety of agriculture crops grown. Now the main target is to achieve nutritional security. In coming times, increasing population, shrinking agricultural land, change in environment, water shortage and need for quality food are main challenges in agriculture sector. Mushroom is one of the important components for diversification that leads to sustainability. During mushroom compost production, recycling of agriculture waste take place, which helps in environment conservation. People who are landless or having less land for cultivation can take this profession because mushroom is grown indoor and only vertical space is covered. Mushroom cultivation can supplement towards availability of food without any requirement of land.

40% Subsidy

Farmers who are interested in taking mushroom cultivation as their profession can contact officials of Department of Horticulture for training, obtaining mushroom compost and also for technical guidance. Interested people can avail facilities under Mission for integrated Development of Horticulture scheme like installation of compost production units and spawn making units etc. About 40% subsidy is being provided under the scheme. Big projects are also given benefit by National Horticulture Board. Interested farmers can make small groups in villages for seasonal growing, h\feel knowledgeable persons. This will help them in marketing, easy availability of mushroom compost besides sharing technical know how about mushroom farming.

Ready Market

Mushroom cultivation can prove good vocation for small, marginal and unemployed youths, especially in Himachal Pradesh, because weather remains favourable during winter months from September to March for its natural growing.  There is no problem being faced by growers regarding sale of mushrooms due to availability of nearby markets. Presently white button mushroom, oyster mushrooms and milky mushroom are grown commonly in this hilly state  with white button mushroom occupying about 80% share in the market.

Leftover Used As Manure

After taking mushroom crop, the spent mushroom substrate is utilised as quality manure in fields to improve soil fertilty. So farmers should come forward to avail facilities provided by Department of Horticulture so that they can improve their socio-economic status by earning good profits, opine experts.

Benefits

* Popular due to its nutritional and medicinal value

* Rich source of proteins and good for heart due to absence of cholestrol

* Low calorie food, good for people having high blood pressure and also for diabetic people

* Helps prevent cancer specially prostate and breast cancer

* People who are landless or having less land for cultivation can take mushroom growing as a career because these are grown indoor and only vertical space is covered

-Susheel Awasthi, Subject Matter Specialist, Mushroom Project, Palampur

Honda Launches WR-V Crossover In Himachal

Himachal This Week, Nagrota Bagwan

Honda has launched its new car, WR-V crossover, based on the Jazz premium hatchback in Himachal Pradesh too. The new car was launched recently at Maxim Honda, an authorised dealership of Honda in Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra district. The new car was inaugurated by Deputy Superintendent of Police Kangra Surendra Sharma in the presence of officials of the company. Honda WR-V is the smallest and compact crossover in the Japanese manufacturer’s stable standing at less than four metres in length. Honda WR-V’s power source will be a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine which is already familiar in India while there is a 1.2-litre i-VTEC proven petrol engine too on offer. Transmission options for the new WR-V include a 5-speed petrol manual and six-speed diesel manual only. The popular 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol makes 90 bhp of maximum power at 6,000 rpm and 110 Nm of peak torque at 4,800 rpm while tdiesel pushes out 100 bhp of power at 3,600 rpm and a meaty 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. The claimed mileage is a healthy 17.5 kmpl for petrol variants and best-in-class 25.5 kmpl for the i-DTEC diesel models. The WR-V’s ground clearance is almost as similar to Hyundai i20 Active at 188 mm. Honda WR-V’s price for base petrol S MT variant is Rs. 7.75 lakh and it goes all the way up to Rs. 8.99 lakh for top-spec VX MT grade. Diesel S MT entry variant is priced at Rs. 8.79 lakh and it raises up to Rs. 9.99 lakh for the range-topping VX MT model.

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