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Over the
last two years, NETIF has been undertaken several
training programs in Mushrooms farming in local
villages. The aim is to show the villagers
alternative and environmentally friendly methods of
farming high value crops such as mushrooms. By
learning how to cultivate mushrooms, the villages
can then set up business and earn income for
themselves and this will help eliminate the need to
cut wood from the jungles, extend farming land and
also produce things like Raski and other non-eco
friendly products.
Mushrooms are one of the more highly nutritious and
tasty vegetables and are a great substitute for
meat, have good value as medicinal crop and also are
a high value, high yield crop that are not as labour
intensive or as damaging to the environment as
things like rice. Studies have revealed that many
different techniques for commercial production and
cultivation of mushrooms are available to us. Vermi-composting
is one of the most popular and productive ways of
propagating mushrooms, not only this, but the
technology is simple, practical, cheap and most
importantly environmentally sustainable.
The
overall objective of NETIF’S mushroom training
programs are
• To generate awareness about mushrooms and mushroom
farming and cultivation and how it can benefit local
farmers
• To provide knowledge and impart the skills of
mushroom farming to the participants of the training
programs
• To provide basic information on carrying out of
mushroom cultivation in an organized manner
• To manage the waste generated from the mushroom
culture by vermin-composting technology
• To create self employment opportunities and to
boost the economical status of the participants
• How to market the product for sale and gain best
finical benefits.
Outcomes of the Training Sessions
NETIF has hosted around 10 training programs and
demonstrations in mushroom farming in Chisapani,
Nagarkot and Dhulikhel. The sessions help to train
participants in different methods of mushroom
farming, the importance of vermin-composting and
waste management.
Overall,
mushroom cultivation and vermiculture enterprises
seem to have great potential for the creation of
sustainable livelihoods in both rural and semi urban
areas of the Kathmandu Valley. Not only this but
NETIF has also focused on training women as well as
mushroom farming is the ideal way for the
empowerment of Nepal’s rural women which has the
potential in the long term to bring about social and
economic change for the better.
What
is Vermi-composting?
Vermi-compost is the process of composting utilizing
various species of worms, usually red wigglers,
white worms, and earthworms to create a
heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or
food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast.
Vermicast, similarly known as worm castings or worm
manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of
organic matter by a species of earthworm. Containing
water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is an
excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil
conditioner.
How
are Mushrooms Cultivated?
Mushroom production is completely different from
growing green plants. Mushrooms do not contain
chlorophyll and therefore depend on other plant
material for their food. The part of the organism
that we see and call a mushroom is really just the
fruiting body. Unseen is the mycelium—tiny threads
that grow throughout the substrate and collect
nutrients by breaking down the organic material.
This is the main body of the mushroom. Generally,
each mushroom species prefers a particular growing
medium, although some species can grow on a wide
range of materials.
The best and most productive way to grow mushrooms
is indoors. In Nepal farmers use barns made of
bamboo and straw which help to maintain the correct
temperature, light levels and humidity needed for
high yields. Mushrooms grow in bags or nets which
are hung from the rafters. The correct substrate and
nutrients are placed inside along with the mushroom
spores which are then left to grow.
These
are the steps in mushroom production—a cycle that
takes about 15 weeks (time varies by species) from
start to finish.
• Choosing a growing medium
• Pasteurizing or sterilizing the medium
• Seeding the sacks or nets with spawn (material
from mature mushrooms grown on sterile media)
• Maintaining optimal temperature, moisture, and
other conditions for mycelium growth and the
conditions that favor fruiting (This is the most
challenging step.)
• Harvesting, packaging, and selling the mushrooms
• Cleaning the facility and beginning again
NETIF’s Vision for Mushroom Farming
• For the promotion of local ‘organic’ products that
can be utilized in the local hotel industry
• To provide a use for organic waste produced by
local tourism industries and villagers in the making
of compost and vermicastings
• By training and providing ongoing support to the
locals we hope to build an ongoing and productive
relationship with them
• To help poor village communities establish a
sustainable form of income
• To get youths involved in the production process
and provide them livelihood
• To produce and manage on a local scale a fresh,
organic, price competitive and easily saleable
product
• To endeavour to support sustainable tourism
development that can support mushroom production
• To build a consolidated effort through the
community, tourism sectors and relevant government
bodies for the development of the project and
tourist destination
Ongoing Support and Motivation Network
To make sure that our projects take off and that the
villagers make use of the knowledge imparted to them
via the training programs, NETIF has hired an expert
in the field of Mushroom Farming to act as a liaison
and to make regular visits to the villages to make
sure the farmers are using the correct methods, to
help with troubleshooting and problems and also to
give the villagers motivation to follow through on
the training. NETIF is funding this expert/liaison
for the period of one year.
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