Sustainable agricultural waste management through oyster mushroom cultivation

Abstract

The focus of the present study was to estimate profitability of Oyster mushroom cultivation, a sustainable way of managing agricultural wastes in malnad region of Karnataka. Five mushroom growing farmers were selected using snow ball sampling. The net returns of Rs.125.20 per kg revealed its profitability and the way it is being produced is eco-friendly will add to the sustainability. Thus, mushroom production could be regarded as a sustainable way of agricultural waste (paddy straw) management. Though, mushroom production is a profitable enterprise but it is fraught with production and marketing related constraints. In order to encourage prospective producers, government should have to provide production related subsidies and create necessary infrastructures to enable value addition.