Local farmers have undergone training in Japan: Agri minister

SHILLONG, March 24: Select local farmers have undergone training in Japan to boost the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms in Meghalaya.
Informing this on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh said that the Mushroom Development Centre in Upper Shillong will be operational by December, which will be a major fillip to the mushroom cultivation here.
Lyngdoh, who held a meeting with a Japanese delegation led by First Secretary of Japan Embassy and the CEO of YATS Corporation, said that the farmers who have received training will impart their know-how about the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms to the local farmers.
He also informed that the machines for the production of shiitake mushrooms, which he said is in high demand, will be procured from Japan.
The Meghalaya Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s YATS Corporation ltd in 2019.
Shiitake mushrooms, which are edible and native to East Asia, are grown in temperature between 10 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius with Meghalaya just being the ideal place its large-scale cultivation due to its climactic conditions. (With UNI inputs)