Fungi Fun-tastic: How Mushrooms are Unleashing a Wholesome Revolution in Bodoland

Mushroom cultivation is taking over as a popular option for earning a livelihood and as an enterprise in the Kokrajhar district of Assam. This movement, which has been sweeping the once insurgency-ravaged district, has resulted in a surge of interest from farmers, self-help groups, and MSMEs, with over 5,000 farmers and 150 MSMEs joining the Mushroom Mission of the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The Bodoland Farmer Producer Company (FPC) Ltd, spearheading the movement, specializes in mushroom and its derivatives. With 526 farmers, 98% of them women, from 26 villages, the Bodoland FPC has achieved a steady growth, producing 26,000 kg of mushroom in just five months. The farmers, who are from 26 farmers’ interest groups, have found that mushroom cultivation is an excellent source of income, requiring minimal resources and a low capital investment. The authorities have identified mushrooms as a product under the Centre’s ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) initiative. With this in mind, the BTC is working hard to make Bodoland the country’s mushroom hub. All departments are collaborating to achieve this goal, and the Department of Biotechnology at the Bodoland University is playing a significant role in the mushroom movement by producing spawn at its Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) and imparting training to individuals. With mushroom production holding great prospects for Bodoland’s economy, the movement is still in its early days, and there is potential for further growth and development.