Oyster mushrooms at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Baliapur. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Nov. 27: While ecological change has made dependence on traditional crops uncertain, mushrooms — the oyster variety — has turned out to be a promising cash crop for farmers in the coal belt.

The demand of the product is so high that a couple of farmers from Baliapur and Katras areas, having picked up the techniques of cultivation from the training centre at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), or the farm science centre at Baliapur in Dhanbad, are supplying kilos of farm-fresh mushrooms to Reliance Fresh outlets and to the local markets. The Reliance fresh is selling the product at Rs 80 per kg.

“The oyster mushroom is high in protein and better known as vegetable meat. It is good for diabetics and pregnant women,” a KVK scientist said.

Programme co-ordinator of KVK Deokant Prasad said that an investment of less than Rs 30 for farmers is generating an income of Rs 160.

Mushroom spawns are available from the Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), Ranchi, at the rate of Rs 60 per kg but the investment is calculated on 200gm as that much amount of spawns is used at a time for growing. A 200gm packet of spawns costs Rs 12. The polythene in which the spawns are grown costs Re 1 and the rice husk or the wheat bran on which the spawns are sprinkled to grow costs Rs 3 to 4 per kg. The bran or husk is commonly available with the farmers, so farmers need to invest only Rs 2 for the chemical. The labour cost for planting the 200gm spawns is Rs 2. Miscellaneous costs amount to Rs 2. The bran or husk is left in water for 24 hours with formalin and bavistin to free it from pesticide and fungus. Workers must always wipe their hands with spirit or disinfectants before handling the mushrooms. Workers must divide the spawn and pack it for growing. The 200gm spawn is divided into four parts.

The spawn is sprinkled all over a three to four-inch area of bran or husk and topped with another layer of husk or bran of four inches. On the layer, spawns are spread out at the corners, twice. The process is repeated again and the entire thing is then packed in a tight polythene bag and put up in racks of wood or iron. The polythene is later perforated so that the extra moisture comes out.