Mushroom Cultivation

India is the second largest populous country in the world. Increase in population is creating an alarming situation in the food problem in India. Animal protein is beyond the reach of low income group which forms a large proportion of our population. Mushrooms yeasts and algal foods are frequently mentioned as alternative sources of protein. Out of these mushrooms are the most preferred. Mushrooms have attracted the attention of man since very early times. They are of various shapes sizes and colours and appeal to different people in different ways. Mushrooms offer vast rural employment potential. India is blessed with varied agro climate abundance of agricultural wastes and man-power making it most suitable for the cultivation of all the types of temperate tropical and sub-tropical mushrooms. It is estimated that about 355 million tones of agricultural waste are left out for burning and incorporating in the soil in manure form. If 1% of it is utilized to produce mushrooms India will be a major mushroom producing country.