Srinagar: With less cultivable area compared to other districts, Srinagar has huge potential in promotion of livelihood of unemployed educated youth through adoption of mushroom cultivation and many youth have great success stories to inspire others.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kashmir was committed to help youth in this regard, and about 225 beneficiaries had been covered under different schemes like Capex, Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) and Special Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan (SCA to TSP) and provided financial assistance for staring self employment generation units in the last two years.
BALHAMA MUSHROOM VILLAGE
The department in current financial year has established mushroom village at Balhama, Khonmoh under PMKKKY funded by District Administration Srinagar and 64 beneficiaries have been covered under the scheme with an expected production of 128 quintals.
In the year 2021-22, the department provided financial assistance to about two dozen households under SCA to TSP and established cluster model village at Faqir Gujri, Dara and Mulnar for promoting vertical mushroom cultivation.
The mushroom units under different schemes are being established to provide dignified livelihood to the people living in different areas of the district and the department is committed in devising a composite strategy for the development and promotion of the mushroom sector to ensure their long term sustainable livelihood as mushroom production has a huge potential to improve the socio economic status of small and marginal farmers.
The department is encouraging growers to take advantage of the better market linkage and mushroom growers of the district will be linked to Srinagar Vegetable Producer Company, a FPO in near future.