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Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua has witnessed a surge in mushroom cultivation, bringing a sudden revolution in mushroom farming in the last two years due to the hard work of the farmers in the district.
Earlier, mushrooms were cultivated only for three to four months each year. Now, young farmers are adapting to new techniques and technologies, starting their own mushroom cultivation units. The Youth Setup control cropping unit allows for continuous mushroom production by maintaining controlled conditions with high-tech air conditioning systems. Kathua Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Sanjeev Rai Gupta told ANI, "Mushroom cultivation, which was previously 900 to 1,000 quintals per year, has now increased to 9,000 quintals per year, generating a revenue of Rs 10 crore for farmers." Under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), the Jammu and Kashmir Government is supporting young farmers with various benefits. Gupta noted that four control cropping units for mushrooms, each estimated to cost Rs 20 lakhs, have been established in Kathua. Farmers receive a subsidy of Rs 8 lakhs under HADP, and three more projects are planned for Kathua. "In the last three months, 800 quintals of mushrooms have been produced in the district. The state's demand for mushrooms is increasing, driven by the hotel and tourism industries, and a large portion is still imported from other states," Gupta added. Young agripreneurs Arun Sharma and Vishav Singh have established their own control cropping units, producing one to two quintals of mushrooms daily and achieving high incomes. "We previously cultivated seasonal crops, but now we have set up control cropping units to ensure year-round production, which is in high demand in the market," Arun Sharma said. The government's schemes aimed at encouraging farmers and doubling their income have significantly motivated these young agripreneurs. (ANI)
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