By H H Mohrmen
In addition to the long list of Missions that are listed in Meghalaya the Government recently launched another Mission to help the farmers and hopefully help improve the economy of Meghalaya too. The Mushroom Mission was announced with much fanfare but without almost any concrete plans to achieve the goals. As of now the Mission is an empty rhetoric without a proper road map to take it forward to make it a successful enterprise.
Of course this is not the first time that the government introduced mushroom cultivation to the farmers. ICAR Umiam and the State Agriculture Department had introduced this activity to enhance the income of the farmers. Recently our NGOs have sent more than hundred famers for training on mushroom cultivation at ICAR and the report we received from them is very positive. Fresh mushrooms are sold at Rs 200 per kilogram in Jowai, and the farmers are also optimistic because it sells like hot cakes. Add to that the fact that it can be dried and sold as dry products too, but the major problem that our farmers’ encounter is the supply of spores.
At the moment there are only two institutes in the state which produce mushroom seeds; one in ICAR Umiam and the State Agriculture unit in Upper Shillong and the feedback we have from the trained farmers is that the two units cannot supply the demand of seeds by the farmers. This is one major challenge for the Mission; if the state continues to depend on these two institutions to supply the much needed seeds then this Mission is doomed to fail.
The other issue is that of the two types of mushroom that are introduced to the farmers only oyster mushroom is popular because it is much easier to cultivate. Although pricewise button mushrooms fetch a much better price but because of the various challenges involved in cultivating the same, farmers have abandoned its cultivation. This is another challenge that the Government needs to address if the mission is to succeed because only limited species of two have been introduced of which one is popular.
A study by Bioversity International and partners brought to light the astounding fact that vegetables sold around the world in grocery shops, super markets and open air markets are surprisingly similar everywhere. The same commercial vegetables like tomato, potato, eggplant, onion, carrot, beet, lettuce and broccoli can be found in the markets around the world. In such a situation the diets of people across the world are becoming more similar and are based on fewer crops. Recent studies conducted by the scientists of Bioversity International in collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UNO found that there are more than 1,097 vegetable species consumed by the people the world over, yet we are familiar with less than 7% of these species.
Now even in our state we find less and less variety of food items on our plates and most of them are all foreign crops introduced to our land. Coming back to mushrooms, a young lady in her project which was submitted in partial fulfilment of the course she studied for a Bachelors Degree in Science on Environment Science from St. Edmunds College came up with a list of more than 10 varieties of wild edible mushrooms which are consumed by the people in Jaintia Hills. Now the question is: Does the Mission have any scope for including wild edible mushrooms in the grand project?
Is it true that in spite of the state having innumerable varieties of wild mushrooms, the Mission will only concentrate on imported varieties of button and oyster mushrooms which are not endemic to the State? Why are no efforts made to do tissue-culturing of our own wild mushrooms and start cultivation of the same if possible? Mushroom which can be commercially cultivated fetch a good price in the market, but wild mushrooms are a niche product which are in great demand the world over. If the Mission misses this element then it is but a replication of what has been done elsewhere, and a small version of the Green Revolution with the only difference being that it is about mushrooms only. Mushroom Mission will be unique and become Meghalaya specific only if wild edible mushrooms endemic to the State are incorporated in the Mission.
With the benefit of a hindsight, the three lessons we learn from the Green Revolution are (a) loss of crop diversity (b) its impact on the soil and the health of the people and (c) the gradual diminishing of numbers of food item from our plates which also affect the health and nutrition of the people. The loss of crop diversity is evident from the disappearance of indigenous seeds from collection of the farmers. In our effort to increase production, the traditional seeds are at stake and more often than not, local seeds are replaced by high yielding varieties. Our penchant for high yielding varieties of crops and fancy foreign crops which are easy to produce and grow quickly has resulted in our abandoning our own indigenous seeds and in the process losing crop diversity.
The other lesson from the Green Revolution is that the overuse of chemical fertilizers has resulted in loss of soil fertility and decrease in crop production. The harmful effects of chemical fertilizers, chemical insecticides and herbicides on the health of the soil and the health of the people are beginning to show now. The pesticides and herbicides used had an affect not only on the produce and the soil but even on the health of the consumers. Tomatoes are one such example where people now peel the skin before eating the same.
In our endeavour to achieve progress we put on a great effort to increase production but at the cost of crop diversity. Indigenous food systems which are a store house of crop diversity are gradually giving way to the culture of fancy fast food now. There is no interest in the local food anymore. The irony is that now even local chickens are being replaced by Broilers and Kroilers on the dining table, and in the pens at home by Kroilers. Very soon local chicken will be lost forever and if that happens then with it our folk stories about the rooster will also disappear.
For the state government’s ambitious Mushroom Mission to happen; it needs to increase production of seeds because training can be done at the district level by the office of the District Agriculture, Horticulture offices, the KVKs, ICAR and even NGOs which has trained manpower. Unlike the other agriculture produce which are greatly affected by market fluctuations, markets for mushrooms are readily available and add to the marketability of products as it can be dried and sold as a packaged product.
The other advantage of mushroom cultivation is it attracts educated youths to engage in this livelihood activity which does not only involve cultivation but packaging too. We have few such cases where educated youths are engaged in this activity now. Like keeping poultry, piggery, cattle, goats and beekeeping, mushroom can also be a side livelihood activity which can help enhance the income of the farmers.
There is a scope that this Mission will not only help farmers to enhance their incomes but it can draw educated youth to farming. However, for the Mission to have an edge, it needs to produce niche product and that will only happen if we can produce and market wild edible mushrooms. In doing so we will help conserve mushroom diversity and also help protect forests because wild mushrooms only grow in the forest.