Paradip: With the Odisha government taking up a host of measures under ‘Mission Shakti’ programme to push women empowerment, a total of 362 women of three SHGs in Kujang block of Jagatsinghpur district have made themselves self-sufficient through mushroom and vegetable farming. Mushroom and seasonal vegetable farming have opened up new avenues of livelihood for them. These women have now become economically independent through this project.
In fact, 30 women of three SHGs, who have formed the ‘Dayanidhi Mushroom Producers Group’, have turned into small entrepreneurs. By managing the finances of their respective families, they have become role model for others. Apart from household chores, they utilise two hours for mushroom and vegetable farming every day. Traders from Paradip and Kujang buy the produce from their doorsteps. They earn Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 each on a monthly basis, said Swarnalata Swain, the president of Dayanidhi Mushroom Producers Group. They started mushroom farming in 2019.
Master trainer of mushroom farming, Mounabati Swain said that PPL extended financial support for this initiative , apart from providing training and tools. They have now adopted organic ways of cultivating bitter gourd, cucumber, ridge gourd, okra, brinjal, snake gourd and pumpkins on a patch of land. Mushroom cultivation involves fabrication of sheds with very little need for land. SHG members have laid over 100 beds. The process of mushroom farming involves compost preparation, spawn-run, casing and harvesting.
The mushroom sheds of several layers are made up of wood. Compost is used as a substrate for growing white button mushrooms, while straw is used as a base material for mushroom farming. “Around 500gm to 1 kg of mushroom is collected from each bed every day. We spend `70 for one bed of mushroom. We sell a kilogram of mushroom for Rs130,” they said. Some of these women have now been chosen as master trainers to guide the SHGs on mushroom farming. This has been done so that utility of mushroom farming can be spread to other areas also.