<br>Under the project, Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods, nearly 500 SGHs, each having on an average 15-20 members, have been roped in 24 income-generation activities for community livelihood development with provisions of working capital and revolving fund, Chief Project Director Nagesh Guleria told Ajit Weekly News.
And button mushroom cultivation is the first-of-its-kind area-specific initiative in Shimla district. The other prominent avocation by a SHG is weaving handlooms in Kullu district.
The objective of the project is to manage and enhance the forest area ecosystems while contributing to environmental and sustainable socio-economic development.
The first such group to adapt mushroom cultivation is Ekta of Kanda village in Ghanahati in Shimla district last month.
A demonstration centre with 245 seeded compost bag of 10 kg each was set up in a rented accommodation. The day-to-day technical backup was provided by JICA experts.
With the production started within 25 days, the SHG marketed 200 kg mushroom in one week that fetched Rs 110-130 a kg with the gross return of over Rs 20,000, explained Guleria.
This was first success of the group in this venture for which they were not only trained formally and but also they learned while doing the day-to-day operations with guidance of the JICA Forestry Project experts at their demonstration site.
The production will continue further for two months with the total production of about 500 kg with the market value of Rs 50,000, say officials.
They say the knowledge imparted to the women farmers and their capacity building through trainings and exposure visits are doing more good to them than just providing them the option of healthy and sustainable agriculture for livelihood.
The knowledge has visibly instilled confidence in women farmers in totality that has led to their inclusion in decision making even at home.
An elated young woman farmer Reena Thakur, 32, an active member of the SHG, said, "We got an order to supply up to 1.5 quintal of mushrooms daily to the Central Jail of Kanda that is located in the vicinity of our village."
She said the project is supporting the livelihood of the village womenfolk, who were other sitting ideal after their daily household chores.
Women group members expressed happiness as this is light activity and requires one-two hours of daily care for picking, washing, watering and packaging. Marketing is done locally and the demand is high and selling on cash at the demonstration site.
Local population is relishing locally grown button mushroom as it has been cultivated for the first time in the village by a community group.
"The trial to grow mushrooms by an SHG has succeeded and we are developing marketing linkages too so that they can market the produce at their doorsteps," Guleria, who is the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, told Ajit Weekly News.
He said each SHG is being provided Rs 100,000 as revolving fund and technical training to start the livelihood venture.
JICA project has mandate of setting up over 700 SHGs in seven districts and orient them for developing and adopting innovative income-generation activities for livelihood.
Efforts are in progress to diversify mushroom growing in SHGs with promotion of species of remunerative ‘dhingri’ and ‘shiitake’ mushroom keeping in view easy marketing as dried mushrooms.
Puja, head of Ekta SHG, said she and members of the SHG were not having any experience of growing of button mushroom. "It is the motivation and day-to-day technical knowhow provided by the JICA team that enabled them to go for mushroom cultivation. This was the first demonstration project in the area and now many women self-help groups are interested in its cultivation."
The initiative is also contributing towards biodiversity conservation and improvement of ecosystem services with specific focus on water resource conservation, prevention of soil erosion, and necessary support to establish sustainable alternative livelihoods for the local community.
The project is scheduled to end in March 2028.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at [email protected])
–Ajit Weekly News<br>vg/sha
News Credits – I A N S
