PESHAWAR: An expert on Mushroom farming Sher Muhammad has made an experiment of growing summer seasoned milky mushrooms through farming in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“I, through the platform of Khyber Mushrooms, have made an attempt of growing milky mushrooms in the prevailing summer season, ” informed Sher Muhammad who is involved in mushroom cultivation through farming for the last several decades and imparted training of the skill free of cost to numerous number of people in the province.
The experiment of growing milky mushroom is made in Peshawar and Swabi districts and within few days the results will be obtained, Sher told reporter.
“Mushroom farming is very simple and can serve as potential source of creating livelihood for hundred of thousands of unemployed youth, ” Sher opined.
“It can also serve as cottage industry as people can do farming in their homes on low scale, ” he added.
In mushroom farming, he continued, the most popular type of mushrooms grown are oyster mushroom, both white and golden, button mushroom and milky mushroom.
However, the oyster mushroom is most suitable to Pakistan’s climate and can be grown round the year, except for four months of sever heat including May, June, July and August.
From September’s end, when the weather starts changing, growing restarts and continue till late April, he explains.
The milky mushroom is grown is summer season under controlled temperature and therefore people avoid its cultivation through farming, Sher Muhammad apprised reporter.
This season, he added, he decided to made an attempt of growing milky mushroom and if he succeeded in his experiment it would open ways for mushroom farmers to cultivate mushrooms through out the year.
Majority of forms are closed in summer season because mushrooms can be grown in temperature ranging between 30 to 40 degree Celsius and in case of success of milk mushroom cultivation, our summer season will not go empty, Sher claimed.
He said there are more than 100 mushroom farms in KP and consumption of this nutritious food among public is also registering increase for the last few years.
Sher Muhammad informed that mushroom cultivation is highly profitable business as one kg production costs around Rs. 80 and can be sold in market at the rate of Rs. 380. While the shopkeepers sell is to customers at Rs. 400 to 450 per kg.
About the price and cost of milky mushroom, Sher said it would be quite high from other types because of its high expenditure cost in maintaining temperature at forms through use of air conditioners.
Sher Muhammad also stressed upon government to give consideration to mushroom farming and arrange training for locals to tap this potential source of livelihood.