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The year was 1998. Floods had ravaged the eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh. People were forced to leave their homes and they were settled at higher places with their animals. The turbulent water had damaged their crops. The destruction was so heavy that some progressive farmers of the region wondered if they could take their crop with them during floods.
“This idea led to mushroom cultivation in the region. It all started with just 20 farmers and now their strength has gone up to 2,000 and this number is increasing with every passing month,” said Paras Nath Singh, one of the initiators of this scheme in Deoria.
He says the best part of this cultivation is that farmers can grow mushrooms in a very small room or a shed, which can further be divided into small racks or sacks. The farmer can cultivate mushrooms along with other agricultural produce. This not only increases the agricultural income but also at the time of flood, the farmer can take that rack with him to safer places along with his animals. “This helps the farmer in saving the mushroom cultivation when his other crop is damaged in the floods,” said Singh, who is also convener of non-governmental organisation Yuva Chetna Kendra in Deoria.
The mushroom cultivation is picking up among the farmers because it is almost a perennial crop and gives a farmer 3- 5 times profit. The highest profit is in growing milky mushrooms in which the profit is almost five times and the least in button mushrooms where the profit is 2-3 times of the expenditure.
Mushrooms are not only useful for vegetables. Pickles, morabbas, powders, biscuits etc. are also prepared from it.
“Deoria was at one time considered a sugar bowl of Asia but now it is known as a hub of mushroom cultivation. People from other professions are now joining mushroom cultivation, leaving their well cushioned jobs. Take the case of Jawahar Singh, a resident of Bhaluani block of the district, who was a contractor in the electricity corporation but left the job to start mushroom cultivation. “I did not like the job. But when I came to know about mushroom cultivation, I decided to take a plunge and am happy that I took this decision,” he said.
At present Singh is cultivating mushrooms in a 10,000 square feet area. The problem this area was facing was getting quality seeds as the government's response was very late. But the farmers found a way out and set up their own laboratory in Deoria from where mushroom seeds (spawns ) are supplied across UP and neighbouring Bihar.
“The government response is very lackadaisical. The government loan is there but it is for big farmers. The need of the hour is for small hassle-free loans of Rs 10,000 t0 Rs 20,000 for small farmers. If the government chips in with his help, mushroom cultivation will mushroom across east UP,” Singh said.