Commercial farming of mushroom launched

Kathmandu: A commercial farming of mushrooms has been launched at Padampur of Kalika municipality-2 in the district.

There are 12 tunnels with an air cooling system prepared for the production of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Municipality Mayor Binod Remgi inaugurated the farming on Friday. He said it was initiated to make the country self-reliant on mushrooms.

The municipality was extending support to farmers to promote commercial agriculture, he added. Technology, grants, seeds, and agro tools were provided to the farmers for it. According to him, the agro products would be supplied to other cities, including the federal capital. The Renski Agro Farm has begun producing the button mushroom.

Earlier, the oyster mushroom was produced. Farm owner Kamal Sharma Subedi informed that in the 12 tunnels, the mushroom weighing as high as 24,000 can be produced in 65 days. A single tunnel is capacious for 10 tons of muck. The mushroom can be harvested six times a year.

The button mushroom is sold at Rs 4,00 per kg. Most of the products are sold in Chitwan, Kathmandu, and Makwanpur markets.

To maintain temperature, an ‘air handling unit’ has been installed in the tunnels. Nearly 1.9 million was spent to set up a tunnel. The farm has been producing oyster mushrooms for a year. It has been extended now.