Chief Minister inaugurates Shiitake Mushroom Production and Training Centre
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today inaugurated the Shiitake Mushroom and Training Center funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, DoNER Ministry and Government of Meghalaya at Upper Shillong in the presence of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that the government’s vision has always been to take every section of the society along as the state moves forward.
“The investments we make and the development we make will be meaningless if different sections of the society cannot grow together and become part of Meghalaya’s growth story,” he said.
He informed that in the last three years the State Government has invested about Rs 700 crore to create value chain and infrastructure for farmers so that their farming and products of their activities are profitable and economically attractive. “I have always believed that we do not need to do new things but we need to help farmers improve their farming,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said that the target is to help 1000 farmers by establishing Shiitake Mushroom Production and Training Centre. He also said that Shiitake mushroom can be cultivated in three cycles in a year, which can yield an income of around Rs 1 lakh per cycle. “By a basic calculation we can conclude that a revenue of Rs 117 crore will be earned by our farmers in just three years,” he said.
He encouraged farmers to take up shiitake mushroom cultivation as this activity would only be an additional cultivation as it requires less space for cultivation and requires only 15 days of work per cycle as well as only basic maintenance Is.
He said the market for shiitake mushroom already exists and the state has the potential to supply to the rest of the country while remaining self-sufficient. He assured the farmers of all possible assistance from the government.
This project has been completed at a cost of Rs 10 crore. 15.15 crores. This unit is located at Mushroom Growth Centre, Upper Shillong. The project is being implemented in partnership with YATS Corporation Tokyo, a leading global producer of shiitake mushrooms.
As part of this initiative, through a buy-back mechanism through Shillong Shiitake Products Company Limited (SSPL), a joint venture between Yats Corporation and Hill Farmers Shiitake Mushroom Co-op Society Limited (HFSMC). Market connectivity has been established.
It is noteworthy that Rs. Rs 62.37 crore has been earmarked for the Mushroom Mission for a period of five years. So far, about 5000 farmers have benefited from this program. The promotion of Shiitake mushroom by the Department of Agriculture under the Mushroom Mission is envisioned to focus on three key pillars – Technology, Market and Community.
