GUWAHATI, April 5 � For effective use of agro-technologies in cultivating edible and protein-rich mushrooms, and popularising it among masses, city-based entrepreneur and proprietor of the Mushroom Development Foundation (MDF), Guwahati, Pranjal Baruah, was today felicitated by the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat.
Baruah has been popularising mushroom cultivation among the marginal farmers of Sonapur, Makum, Khonoma (Nagaland) and Arunachal Pradesh.
With a production of 100 kg mushroom per day and 2,000 kg of spawn per month, the foundation has been instrumental in generating employment for over 1,500 farmers in four States of the North-east by providing them technical back-up, planting material and marketing support.
Besides, 300 persons are being provided with the spawn and marketing support. Till date, over 2 lakh people in India, Bangladesh and Bhutan have been benefited by the training provided by the MDF.
Baruah was felicitated for �continuous use of mushroom technology, developed by the NEIST for commercial exploitation,� a citation from the NEIST mentioned.
�The technical know-how with which the Mushroom Development Foundation has been able to scale such heights was first provided by the NEIST in 1995,� it further mentioned.
The NEIST, a premier research and development institute of this region, is celebrating its golden jubilee year this year. In the inaugural function today, it felicitated a few of the entrepreneurs, who had used its technology and are successfully implementing it for selfestablishment as well as generating employment opportunity to others.
�The growing popularity of edible mushrooms is very encouraging for us as it is not only a protein-rich healthy food, it�s also benefiting a number of the poor and marginal farmers. At MDF, we always try to bring in new technologies so that the farmers can get the maximum benefit and we can fulfil the demand in the local market,� Baruah said.
