Imphal: The Manipur centre of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has for the first time imparted training on the newly improved technology of cultivating button, shitake and milky mushrooms to farmers.

Altogether 59 participants from different villages, including those from the Indo-Myanmar border, comprising farmers, women, youth and entrepreneurs, were trained in the three-day training programme on scientific cultivation of mushroom. The programme concluded on Saturday at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Lamphelpat, here.

The training programme was jointly organised by the Centre and the ICAR-directorate of mushroom. The ICAR-directorate of mushroom is the apex government body of the country working on research and development solely on mushrooms. Anupam Barh, a scientist from ICAR-DMR, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, represented the directorate in the training programme.

The programme targeted potential mushroom growers from far-flung districts and villages of Manipur. The training programme was intended for farmers from Chandel district whose villages - New Somtal, Sajik Tampak, Chakpikarong and Lembung - are along the border with Myanmar, and Gaidimjang, Rongdai and Thanagong villages of Tamenglong district.

Some farmers from Imphal West and East, Bishenpur and Thoubal also participated.

The training programme had both theory and hands-on practical classes designed to impart and enhance the skills of a mushroom grower. The training attempted to cover a wide range of topics starting with nutritional and medicinal value of mushrooms to value addition of mushroom crop.