A Series of Presentation By Mr Allah Dad Khan Master Trainer in Mushroom Technology Former DG Agriculture Extension KPK , Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar Pakistan

4.  Market for mushrooms is growing rapidly in
Pakistan because of their nice aroma, nutritious
values, subtle flavor and special taste. Many exotic
food preparations like soup, vegetables, pickles etc.
are made from them.
 They are also used for garnishing, to prepare many
varieties of gravy and for stuffing several food
preparations. But they are still considered as up-
market product and their consumption is limited to
urban and semi urban areas.
 Fresh mushrooms have very limited shelf life but
processed and canned mushrooms have fairly long
shelf life and can be sold even at far off places, Star
hotels and exclusive restaurants.

5.  In Pakistan the biggest mushroom supplier
markets are Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
Mushroom consumption is increasing in
Pakistan due to increasing demand for fast
food.
 The productivity of mushroom is higher than
any crop. Food, nutritional and medicinal
values apart, mushroom growing can be
efficient means of waste disposal
(agricultural, industrial and forest wastes),
since it can use the wastes as medium of
growth.

6.  Hence, it could be considered as eco-friendly.
 In Pakistan only three types, namely, button,
oyster and straw mushrooms are
commercially cultivated.
 Further, mushroom growing is highly labor
intensive and requirement of land is
comparatively low.

7.  Different agricultural and/or industrial straw
wastes can be used for cultivation of
mushrooms. Mostly the wheat, paddy, barley,
oat and gram straw, banana, sugarcane and
maize leaves, empty millet heads and corn
cobs, cotton waste, manure etc., can be used
as substrate (medium) for cultivation.
 As Pakistan is an agricultural country,
therefore a huge quantity of the crop waste is
easily available at low cost, which could be
converted into edible mushrooms by using
separately or in combination.

8.  The white mushrooms, resembling with the
shape of button are mostly known as button
mushroom, but as these are naturally grown
in meadow, therefore are called meadow
mushrooms, also known as European
mushroom, town or street mushroom in
Europe.
 These are largely grown and greatly
consumed throughout the world with almost
80% share among growing mushrooms.

9.  Mushroom is widely cultivated as a
proteineous vegetable in many countries of
the world including Pakistan. Its cultivation
requires less space, care, equipment and cost
compared to many other crops and livestock.
 The present study was conducted in 2010 to
estimate the profitability of small scale
button mushroom production at National
Agricultural Research Centre (NARC)
Islamabad, Pakistan.

10.  Mushroom growing involves culturing
mushroom spawn on a substrate and
harvesting the mushrooms.
 The substrate must be sterilized by boiling in
water in a drum.
 The material used is typically wheat straw,
gypsum and poultry waste which was readily
available locally and at low cost.

11.  After the substrate is sterilized and cooled, it
is inoculated with spawn inside polythene
bags and shelved
 The bags were tied with threads and shelves
were covered with polythene sheets in growing
room for two to three weeks. During that
period the mushrooms start to develop.
 When the young mushrooms start to push out
the walls of the plastic bag, the bags were
ripped open and polythene sheets were
removed from the shelves to allow normal
growth.

12.  To ensure top quality product, mushrooms
picking started at the time when they were
fully mature but before they start to turn
brown and before the edges start to turn
black.
 Room where experiment was con ducted
could not maintain the desired temperature
for mushroom production.
 The developing mushrooms were watered
regularly thrice a day to ensure healthy
growth.

13.  To obtain the good quality button mushroom
light, temperature, and humidity must be
carefully controlled but the excess of CO2 in the
room can ruin the desired shape of the
mushrooms.
 Temperature and humidity were tried to maintain
by boiling water in drums, flow water on the floor
and by using the exhaust fan.
 The grown mushrooms were sold out at the
NARC sale point at Rs.100 and Rs.200 g packets.

14. Particular Value (Rs.) % of Total Cost
Room rent 1125 4.0
Wheat straw 5000 17.77
Gypsum 600 2.13
Poultry farm waste 550 1.95
Triangle for compost turning 17.5 0.06
Polythene sheets 350 1.24
Drums 100 0.36
Bricks 12 0.04
Polythene bags 160 0.57
Gas/fire wood 900 3.20
Thread 25 0.09
Frame 50 0.18
Casing material 325 1.16

15. Spawn price 7500 26.66
Sharp knives used for picking 2.5 0.01
Disposable gloves for picking 40 0.14
Hand pump 8 0.03
Water 1080 3.84
Labor 3375 11.99
Packing material 2000 7.11
Miscellaneous 3900 13.86
Interest on operating capital rate @15% 1017 3.61
Total cost (Rs./ha) 28137 100
Total Revenue (Rs./ha) 77800 -
Net Return (Rs./ha) 49663 -
Returns per rupee investment 1.77 -

16.  The study has been conducted to estimate the
cost of production of button mushroom and to
find the economic feasibility of mushroom
cultivation for small scale farmers.
 The results of the study have indicated that
the mushroom production is economically
feasible as it can give maximum net return to
the farmers by reducing their cost of
production. Its cultivation is dependent on the
agricultural raw material which is cheaply
available to the farmers.
 It involves less investment but can give the
farmer the more return on per rupee
investment.

17.  Mushroom production is economically important
can contribute to the economy in terms of
nutritional value and reduce unemployment.
Mushrooms are called “white gold”
 Meeting the food demand for the increasing
population from the limited land resource is a big
challenge. The global food and nutritional
security of growing population is a great
challenge, which looks for new crop as source of
food and nutrition.
 In this context, mushrooms find a favour which
can be grown even by landless people, that too
on waste material and could be a source for
proteineous food.

18.  Nutritional Security
 Agriculture is the key factor for the development of
the countries. Quality food, health and
environment are the major concerns facing our
country. Mushroom cultivation helps to address the
issue of nutritional security and also provides
solution for proper recycling of agro-wastes.
 In addition to good quality protein, no cholesterol,
high fibre, low sodium, good quantity of vitamins
and minerals, the mushrooms also have bioactive
compounds like b-glucans, proteinpolysaccharide
complexes that impart unique medicinal values like
anti-cancer and anti-viral properties.
 The folic acid present in oyster mushrooms helps
to cure anemia. It is suitable for people with hyper-
tension, obesity and diabetes due to its low sodium
: potassium ratio, starch, fat and calorific value.
Alkaline ash and high fibre content makes them
suitable for consumption for those having
hyperacidity and constipation.

19.  Lanless farmers
 Mushroom cultivation requires very little land
and can be good source of employment for
small and lanless farmers, educated youth
and women.
 Indoor cultivation of mushrooms utilizes the
vertical space and is regarded as the highest
protein producer per unit area and time-
almost 100 times more than the conventional
agriculture and animal husbandry.

20.  Market Demand
 Major issues which are confronting and are
likely to continue to do so in foreseeable
future are:
 i) population growth, ii) income growth and
iii) urbanization.
 During the next 18-20 years these factors
will determine the demand for food in general
and mushrooms in particular throughout the
world, especially in the developing countries.
 The rate of population growth is still high in
developing countries as compared to
developed countries.

21.  Future Market Demand for Mushroom
 With the growing awareness for nutritive and
quality food by growing health conscious
population, the demand for food including
mushrooms is quickly rising and will continue to
rise with increase in global population which will
be 8.3 million by 2025.
 The mushroom cultivation has grown up in
almost all the parts of the world and during last
three decades, the world mushroom production
achieved the growth rate of about 10%.
 Globally, China is the leading producer of
mushrooms with more than 70% of the total
global production, which is attributed to
community based farming as well as
diversification of mushrooms.

22.  Agro-wastes Recyled
 It is estimated that India is generating 600
million metric tons of agricultural waste
besides, fruit and vegetable residue, coir
dust, husk, dried leaves, prunnings, coffee
husk, tea waste which has potential to be
recycled as substrate for mushroom
production leading to nutritious food as well
as organic manure for crops.
 Commercial production of edible mushrooms
bioconverts the agricultural, industrial,
forestry and household wastes into nutritious
food (mushrooms).

23.  Labour intensive
 Mushroom production being an indoor
activity, labour intensive and high profit
venture provides ample opportunities for
gainful employment of small, farmers, landless
labourers, women and unemployed youth.
 Therefore, promotion of mushroom cultivation
shall a step to meet nutritional needs to
reduce malnutrition and providing livelihood
to landless poor.

24.  Income Benefits
 Mushroom cultivation activities can play an
important role in supporting the local economy
by contributing to subsistence food security,
nutrition, and medicine; generating additional
employment and income through local, regional
and national trade; and offering opportunities for
processing enterprises (such as pickling and
drying).
 Income from mushrooms can supplement cash
flow, providing either:
• a safety net during critical times, preventing
people falling into greater poverty;
• a gap-filling activity which can help spread
income and generally make poverty more bearable
through improved nutrition and higher income; or
• a stepping stone activity to help make people less
poor, or even permanently lift them out of poverty.

25.  Sustainability.
 One of the major areas that can contribute
towards goal of conservation of natural
resources as well as increased productivity is
recycling of agro-wastes including agro-
industrial waste. Utilizing these wastes for
growing mushrooms can enhance income and
impart higher level of Sustainability.

26.  value-added products.
 Being an indoor crop, the commodity
provides immense opportunities for
empowerment of rural and urban women
through cultivation and also the production
of value-added products.