PASIGHAT, 30 Mar: A ‘mushroom field day’ was conducted on Monday at Mirbuk and Mirku villages here in East Siang district, drawing active participation of local farmers and farmwomen.
The programme aimed to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities through mushroom cultivation and value addition.
During the event, the importance of mushroom cultivation as a profitable agri-enterprise was emphasised, along with its significant nutritional and medicinal benefits. A live demonstration on oyster mushroom cultivation was conducted, during which the participants were trained on low-cost mushroom house construction, preparation of substrate, and essential materials required to initiate cultivation at the village level.
A highlight of the programme was the demonstration of value-added products, particularly ganoderma tea preparation. The health benefits and growing market potential of ganoderma-based products were explained in detail, encouraging farmers to explore this emerging sector.
The technical session was led by Dr P Raja, professor and principal investigator of the project, who delivered an informative lecture covering scientific cultivation practices and income-generation opportunities through mushrooms.
College of Horticulture and Forestry Dean Prof L Wangchu also addressed the gathering and elaborated the Tribal Sub-Plan, highlighting various support mechanisms and developmental benefits available to tribal farmers under the scheme.
The programme concluded with the distribution of essential inputs, including mushroom spawn, polypropylene bags, and sprayers, to the participating farmers and farmwomen to facilitate immediate adoption of the technology.
