Mushroom farmer honoured with National Award
| Date :13-Sep-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
RAIPUR
Chhattisgarh’s innovative Mushroom farmer Rajendra Kumar Sahu has been bestowed with the National Award for innovation in mushroom production and best utilisation of the available resources. A resident of village Patiyapali of Basna Block in Mahasamund District, Rajendra Kumar Sahu was awarded by the Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan (Himachal Pradesh) with the ‘Progressive Mushroom Producer’ accolade.
Sahu developed a new technique of mushroom production in haystack lying open under the mango trees in his fields. Sahu is growing and marketing mushrooms under the guidance of Indira Gandhi Agriculture University’s scientists for past 12 years. Every day, he is yielding 3 to 5 kilograms of hay mushrooms, which is being sold for Rs 200 to Rs 300 per kilogram from his farm.
Scientists of Directorate along with the Scientists of the University had visited the farms of Rajendra Sahu and admired the technique used by him. In this technique, Rajendra is growing hay mushrooms in iron pipes under the shade of mango trees. On the direction of University of Vice-Chancellor Dr S K Patil, he has been provided with training and equipment to prepare mushroom spawn. Sahu also manufactures and sells earthworm manures. He also sells earthworms to the farmers as a source of extra income.