Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU), Pusa, has come out with a technical handbook on mushroom cultivation in Santhali language to popularise mushroom farming among tribals.
National Research Centre for Mushroom in Chambaghat, Himachal Pradesh, in accordance with the Tribal Sub Plan of the central government, has initiated the move to involve people of the Santhal tribe to promote mushroom farming.
The university, in association with the research centre, aims to make the understanding of the technicalities of mushroom farming and other necessary skill sets easier for people of the Santhal tribe who reside in Bihar and neighbouring Jharkhand.
The university has already motivated hundreds of tribals residing in Pachmania village in Madhubani district for mushroom farming and is aiming to increase the number in future.
Tribals constitute about 1 per cent of the state's 10.4 crore population and the university is trying to bring inculcate the practice among several tribal families who reside in Jharkhand.
RAU vice-chancellor Ramesh Chandra Srivastava told The Telegraph that bringing out the technical handbook in Santhali language was a big milestone in the university's history.
The university will write a letter to the Jharkhand government to deliver booklets to the tribals in Madhubani, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Supaul and West Champaran in Bihar.
The university team will approach tribals and encourage them to grow mushroom varieties inside their habitats.
The principal scientist of the project, Dayaram, said the practice was gaining currency among the tribals.
Sharing a success story, he said tribals of Pachmania village started producing white button mushroom on their own.
The university is taking their help to popularise mushroom farming among other tribals and is at present imparting necessary training of farming and spawn production to a group of 10 tribals in Pachmania village.
A spawn laboratory is being built in the village.
Principal scientist of National Research Centre for Mushroom Swet Kamal said the Centre has decided to set up a spawn unit in Pachmania village following a request made by RAU.
