India: CRPF men to help in mushroom farming

Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU), Pusa, in Samastipur district is mulling over a proposal to engage paramilitary forces and retired army men to disseminate the technology of mushroom farming in the State.

“Because of its nutritional and medicinal qualities, farmers take up mushroom production. But we want to shore up their earnings. This is precisely why we intend to engage CRPF men, who will be trained by the scientists of RAU and then these men-in-uniform will teach the villagers how mushroom farming could be done at a low cost,” said RAU Vice-Chancellor ML Choudhary.

Mushroom farming has played a vital role in boosting rural economy and facilitate opportunities of livelihood to the farmers. “The university has developed low cost technology of spawn production from the mother culture of mushroom to facilitate the demand of seeds,” said Choudhary.

The rural people will be trained in mushroom farming under an agriculture innovative project. The university will sign a memorandum of understanding with the paramilitary force stationed at Muzaffarpur.