Mushrooms, a lucrative industry

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The Ministry of Agriculture of NWP PC has made arrangements to popularise the cultivation of mushrooms in Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts this year. Unemployed school leavers of low-income families are now engaged in this industry and a person can earn over Rs. 20,000 per month as mushrooms is a delicacy with high nutritional value.

This is an environment-friendly industry and by now, around 6,000 persons are engaged in this industry as growers, sellers and seed producers.

Ministry of Agriculture has deployed 15 agricultural instructors to train those who take to this industry this year and a large quantity of mushrooms would be sent to urban areas for marketing.

Possibilities are now being explored to grant self-employment loans to the people who are engaged in this industry depending on their production capacities and the income levels.

"If financial aid and expertise are provided to the producers in the proper manner, this industry can be expanded as a profitable industry islandwide", said the President of Kurunegala District Small Farmers' Organisations S.M. Wimalasena.