Prospects of commercial cultivation of mushroom A Presentation By Mr Allah Dad Khan Former Director General Agriculture Extension KPK Province and Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar Pakistan

2.  ‫پر‬ ‫پیمانے‬ ‫تجارتی‬ ‫کی‬ ‫کھمبی‬
‫کاشت‬
 ‫ڈائریکٹر‬ ‫فورمر‬ ‫خان‬ ‫داد‬ ‫هللا‬
‫جنرل‬
 ‫توصیح‬
‫زراعت‬
‫پشاور‬

3. 1. In Pakistan, mushroom cultivation has tremendous
prospect although, at present only some wild types
of mushrooms are eaten by rural folk.
2. Modern technology has made possible to grow
mushrooms under control and semi-control
conditions.
3. Nature has gifted Pakistan with variety of
environmental conditions suitable for cultivation of
mushroom from sea level to high mountains, where
different types of mushrooms can easily be grown
round a year.
4. The simple, economical and commercial
methodology for cultivation of some known edible
mushrooms has been evolved in Pakistan.

4. 1. “The profit is double of the investment in
mushroom cultivation.
2. Mushroom cultivation can be profitable as
cottage industry in many parts of the
country.
3. If it is developed as a cottage industry in
villages and on business lines near towns
and cities, the delicacy of this vegetable
can become a common diet item in near
future to provide cheap source of proteins,
vitamins and other nutrients.

5.  Mushrooms may also
be grown in a
variety of places
like, caves, ditches,
huts, hovels,
cottages, cellars,
garages, sheds or
shelters, bee hive
shaped huts,
thatched or meted
roofs, thick green
groves and gardens

6.  The Mushroom
cultivation in Pakistan
will have a significant
impact on food
production .
 Protein content of
Mushroom are 4%
,where as in dates ,
potatoes, lettuce and
banana are 2%,1.4
%,1%,and o.6 %. The
protein content of dried
mushrooms have been
found to be upto 36,7 %
where as that of beef is
only 21%.

7. Farmers with small
holdings too can
produce
mushrooms, as large
tracts of land are
not needed for
mushroom
cultivation
Landless villagers too
can practice
mushroom
cultivation

8.  Different agricultural
and industrial straw
wastes can be used
for cultivation of
mushrooms. Mostly,
wheat, paddy,
barley, oat and gram
straw, banana,
sugarcane and maize
leaves etc. can be
used as substrate
(medium) for
cultivation.

9.  Mushroom
cultivation can help
reduce vulnerability
to poverty and
strengthens
livelihoods through
the generation of a
fast yielding and
nutritious source of
food and a reliable
source of income.

10. Approximately,
the mushrooms
yield equal to 100
per cent of
substrate dry
weight.

11.  Of all the enterprise
opportunities for
private landowners,
mushroom growing
has the potential for
the fastest return
with the lowest
financial investment
and minimal space
needed

12.  Mushroom production requires considerable
capital outlay. This is usually site-specific
and so generalisations concerning investment
costs are not likely to be helpful. You will
have to consider whether to convert radically
existing buildings from other uses or develop
a greenfield site

13.  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.

14.  The mushrooms are
independent of sun
light. The mushrooms
absorb oxygen and
exhales carbon
dioxide. Different
artificially cultivated
mushrooms need
different range of
temperature,
humidity, light and
ventilation.

15.  Market for mushrooms is
growing rapidly in
Pakistan because of
their nice aroma,
nutritious values, subtle
flavor and special taste
.
 Marketing of mushroom
is totally cash-based
unlike other crops
where most of the
dealings are credit-
based

16.  Livelihood
opportunities Trade in
cultivated mushrooms
can provide a readily
available and
important source of
cash income - for men
and women and the
old, infirm and
disabled alike

17.  Unlike wild harvested
fungi, grown
mushrooms are not
subject to any
ecological
uncertainties
including habitat
health, nor years of
unpredictable
production as a result
of late or reduced
rains.

18. Access to sufficient,
suitable and locally-
sourced substrate and
spores are key
determinants as to
whether mushroom
cultivation is likely to
be successful and
sustainable or not.

19.  Mushroom cultivation
is compatible with
other farming and
horticultural
activities . It can be
regarded as a very
efficient system in
recycling with no
waste from
production to
consumption.

20.  Villagers become confident as individuals in
making decisions on all aspects of farming.
 They are able to get credits and loans where
an individual would have been denied.
 There is a willingness to exchange
knowledge, skills and resources at the
practical level.

21.  When labour shortages occur, the villagers
are willing to share the workload.
 The marketing costs are shared. The farmers
are willing to look beyond competitiveness in
marketing to the common good. They are
able to make well informed decisions on the
basis of shared knowledge.
 As the number of cooperatives grow, more
individuals become involved.