Mushroom from Bihar to catch world eye

Organic mushroom growers from India’s Nalanda district hope to catch the eye of international buyers
India’s government is hoping to bring mushrooms from Nalanda in the state of Bihar to the world stage by drawing the interest of private players.

Mushroom production in the Nalanda district has grown significantly in recent years, and the state agriculture department has decided to help growers finds markets for their product, reported the Times of India.
“A meeting of private firms engaged in food and agro-based products business has been convened on 11 February to explore marketing solutions for mushroom growers,” said agriculture production commissioner Ashok Kumar Sinha.

The meeting will include companies like PepsiCo, Geo Fresh, Amit Green Organic, Organic India, the Himalaya Drug Company and LT Overseas Ltd, the Times report said.

Organic mushrooms produced in Nalanda met the standards required by international markets, said Abhishek Kumar, who works for French organic certification company Ecocert.

“We have been monitoring mushroom cultivation for the last eight to nine months and have found that the final product can compete with foreign ones,” Mr Kumar said, adding he was sure international companies would be exploring Indian mushroom supplies before long.

The state government also plans to set up a mushroom spore production unit in Nalanda, hoping to help growers who were having difficulties obtaining quality spores.

“Mushroom production will witness a boost in our district if spawn production starts here,” mushroom expert Kumar Kishore Nanda told the Times.