Mushrooms in Assam

Created by Academy of Civil Services in Current Affairs 21 Jul 2024

· Mushrooms are the eukaryotic, spore bearing organisms, macro-fungi lacking chlorophyll and grow on dead decomposed matter as saprophytes. They derive nutrients through their mycelia. This mycelium forms the fleshy structures, the fruit bodies, which are generally called the mushrooms.

· There are more then 10,000 verities of mushroom out of which only 200 verities identified as edible verity.

· We can grow four verities of mushroom depending upon the climatic condition of Assam as

· Oyster Mushroom (Sept-April)

· Paddy Straw Mushroom (May-Sept)

· Milky Mushroom (Sept-April)

· Button Mushroom (Nov-Feb)

Nutritional Values of Mushrooms

¨ Indian diet is primarily based on cereals (wheat, rice and maize), which is deficient in protein. Supplementation of mushroom recipe in Indian diet will bridge protein gap an

improve the general health of socio-economically backward communities. Earlier

mushrooms were considered as an expensive vegetable and were preferred by affluent peoples for culinary purposes. Currently common populace also considers mushroom as a quality food due to its health benefits.

Mushroom is considered to be a complete, health food and suitable for all age groups, child to aged people. The nutritional value of mushroom is affected by numerous factors such as species, stage of development and environmental conditions. Mushrooms are rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. The digestible carbohydrate profile of mushroom includes starches, pentoses, hexoses, disaccharides, amino sugars, sugar alcohols and sugar acids. The total carbohydrate content in mushroom varied from 26- 82% on dry weight basis in different mushrooms. The crude fibre composition of the mushroom consists of partially digestible polysaccharides and chitin.

Edible mushrooms commonly have insignificant lipid level with higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. All these result in low calorific yield from mushroom foods. Mushrooms do not have cholesterol. Instead, they have ergo sterol that acts as a precursor for Vitamin D synthesis in human body. Similarly, ergo sterol in button mushroom is converted in to vitamin D2 when exposed to UV radiation or sunlight. The protein content of edible mushrooms is usually high, but varies greatly. The crude protein content of mushrooms varied from 12-35% depending upon the species. The free amino acids composition differs widely but in general they are rich in theronine and valine but deficient in sulphur containing aminoacids (ethionine and cysteine).

Some of the suggestions to solve the marketing problems of mushrooms in Assam are given below:

1. Expand the market area and strengthen the demand:

a. Popularize mushrooms using ICT as delicacy with nutritive and medicinal value, on mass media like Doordarshan ,radio also ads. and posters.

b. Break consumer resistance by creating awareness in new areas. Demonstration of recipes and free samples in new areas. Free recipe booklet.

2. Form cooperatives for sale:

a. Create cold storage facility
b. Create refrigerated transport facility
c. Create processing facility
d. Create distributor function for big cities

3. Decrease the cost of production and bring down the sale price to boost the demand

4. Good pre packs for eye appeal.

5. Train retailers about handling, storage, food value and recipes.

6. Approach supermarkets, chain vegetable stores, mother dairy retail counters for retail sale.

7. States should fix minimum support price.

8. Public sector marketing, processing and export organisations should come forward.

9. Assured supply throughout the year at a reasonable constant price is key to good marketing. Efforts should be made to diversify and cultivate different mushrooms throughout the year along with cultivating some of the important mushroom during off-season under controlled condition.

10. In a limited area, say a village or a cooperative, the crops should be time-scheduled to get a daily reasonably

uniform production to avoid glut on a day, this is required to meet the commensurate demand.

11. Star hotels can be invited to popularise the different recipes made out of mushrooms among the customers

12.Dietacians of different nursing home or medicals can be invited and make them understand about the

mushroomwhichprovidearichadditiontothedietintheformof protein,carbohydrate,valuablesalt, vitamins &minerals, amino acid and energy.