Upliftment of socio-economic status of farmers through mushroom cultivation

         Mushroom farming is gaining popularity among farmers and youths in Himachal as the state offers congenial environment for its growth. Earlier, mushrooms were considered as a delicacy but now it seems to have invaded the food habits of Himachalies especially during winters when local grown mushrooms are available in abundance, feel experts. Earlier people used to grow different varieties of mushrooms to supplement their income but lately mushroom cultivation has been adopted at commercial level in different parts of the state. This has not only generated self employment opportunities for many youth but also engaged others in associated activities. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra Hamirpur put the efforts to harvest local natural conditions for mushroom cultivation and directly enhanced the farmer’s income through mushroom cultivation.  All the extension methods like on – campus, off-campus training programmes, value addition, demonstration, literature, film shows and exposure visits were adopted by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra to provide ultimate benefit to the farming community of the district. KVK Hamirpur mainly emphasized on trainings and demonstrations and continuous intevension of technical knowhow. “Seeing is believing” and “learning by doing” are the main focus extension areas of KVK Hamirpur due to which about 9 Self Help Groups (SHGs) are working this aspect and earning a handsome amount by keeping 50-100 bags per grower.