Bhubaneswar, 07 January (H.S.): Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Wednesday highlighted the vast potential of mushroom cultivation as a sustainable livelihood option for farmers in the state. She was addressing the 14th State-Level Annual Convention of the Odisha Mushroom Producers’ Federation.

The Deputy CM said that a significant portion of Odisha’s population is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors, and mushroom farming, in particular, offers strong income-generating opportunities for farmers. She stressed that the time has come to systematically assess the number of mushroom growers in the state, their district-wise distribution, and ways to effectively adopt modern processing and value-addition technologies.

Emphasising the importance of capacity building, Parida said that farmer training is no longer just a policy objective but can be transformed into practical outcomes through strong political will and effective implementation. She encouraged stakeholders to focus on skill development, technological adoption, and organised efforts to strengthen the mushroom sector.

The event was attended by OUAT Dean Dr. Prasannajit Mishra, APICOL Managing Director Shubhranshu Mishra, NABARD General Manager Dr. Sameer Ranjan Samantaray, Odisha Mushroom Producers’ Federation President Prof. Dr. Adwait Kumar Patra, Federation Secretary Santosh Kumar Mishra, and other members of the association.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda