A skill-based training cum demonstration programme on “Enterprising Oyster Mushroom Cultivation for Higher Family Income and Nutritional Security” was successfully conducted on 19th December, 2025 in Jamujhari village under the Farmer FIRST Project. The training was attended by over 90 enterprising farmers and youths from three adopted villages, namely Haridamada, Jamujhari and Barapita of Khordha district. In his opening remarks, Dr. Sumanta Kumar Mishra, Principal Scientist and PI discussed on enormous health benefits of oyster mushroom as an amazing nutritious food and how farmers can become atmanirbhar (self-reliant) adopting this as a business module. He mentioned this enterprising crop requires low investment and could be taken up as an alluring enterprise even by landless, small and marginal farmers. He added, one can get his/her return from investment in a short time span and recycle the investment round the year and briefed its benefit-cost analysis. He also advised all to desist from straw burning practice which has severe adverse environmental impacts Dr. Bhabani Sankar Satapathy, Senior Scientist and Co-PI explained on how to prepare the mushroom beds scientifically in a village situation. He emphasized that the discarded straw in the rice field after machine-harvesting of paddy can be economically utilized for mushroom cultivation to increase family income. He also provided valuable guidance that the partially decomposed paddy straw after harvest of mushroom can be effectively used for making better compost as well as for vermi-compost preparation. Later, all scientists, technical staff Dr. Subodha Kumar Karna and project staff coordinated a skill-oriented demonstration in preparing suitable mushroom beds with the active involvement of participants. As critical inputs, 200 nos. oyster mushroom spawn bottles with required polythene bags and NHRDF vegetable seed kits were provided to all participants. In the beginning, Ms. Isha Anindita Sahoo, SRF welcomed the participants and coordinated the event, while at the end, Mr. Firoj Kumar Pradhan, Field Assistant proposed vote of thanks.
