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Mushrooms as New Economy? Only in India…

By morel delimma ⋅ January 27, 2008 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Occasionally I’m stricken by a story to the point where I realize the depth of my ignorance despite my travels and readings. One such story, printed by The New Nation, talks about how one man has created a fortune with a new commodity - the mushroom. When I say “new,” I mean that the mushroom has been slow to catch on in India because that country’s residents consider the mushroom a “fungus” that isn’t healthy to eat.

According to the story, “Mushroom cultivation in Bangladesh began in 1979 with assistance from Japanese organization JOCDV. Later, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA) came up in 1987with its assistance. Mushroom cultivation slows down in 1990 following withdrawal of JAICA’s support. In 2003, the government introduced a Mushroom Development Project under Agriculture Extension Department for making mushroom popular among the people.”

The rest of the story is fascinating, as it talks about the value of mushrooms for nutrition and for the economy. According to the article, growing mushrooms is “easy,” and they represent a powerful new source of economic riches for individuals who want to grab that brass ring and run with it. But, as the article states, “…it is important to make mushroom acceptable so that people are not provided any exaggerated information about it.”