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Strengthening Mushroom Development Project 1. Project Title: Strengthening Mushroom Development Project (1st revised) (SMDP) 2. a) Sponsoring Ministry/ Division: Ministry of Agriculture b) Executing Agency: Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) 3. Objective of the Project: General Objectives: Improving diversified and sustainable technologies for different worldpopular mushrooms and disseminate them to the growers for reducing malnutrition, creating employment opportunity and generating their income ultimately alleviating poverty. Specific objectives : (a) Capacity build up for conducting diversified mushroom research, extension, collection and preservation of germplasms in National Mushroom Development and Extension Centre (NAMDEC) ensuring their quality and sustaining their capacity. (b) Dissemination of mushroom technologies to the beneficiaries through strengthening NAMDEC activities (research, training, spawn production, motivation and awareness build up programs on mushroom and mushroom-based technologies) and decentralization them by developing sub-centres. (c) Generating employment and self-employment opportunity providing entrepreneurship in private sectors and extending community-based mushroom cultivation program as Mushroom Palli. (d) To promote food, nutrition and socio-economical security especially for the women and children by increasing production of diversified mushroom and mushroom- based products. (e) Creating scope of internal and external markets of mushroom by developing mushroom industries. 4. Location of the Project: National Centre- National Mushroom Development & Extension Centre, Sobhanbag, Savar, Dhaka Sub-Centres- The Horticulture Centres of Khairtala, Jessore; Mehedibag, Sylhet; Shasongacha, Comilla; Vazondanga, Faridpur; Hat Hazari, Chittagong; Dinajpur; Kawatkhali Mymensingh; Banani, Bogra; Burirhat, Rangpur; Kayllanpur, Chapainawabgonj; Pachgasia, Feni; Jhelongja, Coxs bazar; Daulatpur, Khulna; Rahamatpur, Barishal; Asambasti, Rangamati; Balaghata, Bandarban 5. Project Implementation period: January 2009 June 2013 6. (a) Cost of the project (In lakh taka) : 5000.00 (b) Revised cost of the project (In lakh taka) : 5450.63 (But the project is completed within Tk. 5000.00 lakh as JDCF did not give the excess money due to their shortage of fund). 7. Source of Money: JDCF

8. Achievement and impact of the project Achievement in research A group of researchers is intensively working on breeding, production, protection, processing and marketing of mushroom for making sustainable low cost technologies of mushroom suitable for Bangladesh. (a) Collection of germplasms and release of variety: One hundred and fifty seven (157) germplasms of different worldpopular mushroom strains have been collected from different countries. Nine (09) varieties of mushrooms have been released from National Mushroom Development and Extension Centre (NAMDEC) by this project which is being cultivated in different seasons, environments and places of Bangladesh. (b) Development of technologies: Low cost sustainable technologies developed on pasteurization of substrates, use of different substrates, spawning, mother culture, packet opening, watering, etc. (c) Development of time and fuel saving burner and pasteurization chamber. (d) Development of special technology Inocula is used as supplement or supplement is used as inocula in sawdust based substrate which has made mushroom cultivation easier. (e) Development of laboratories in NAMDEC: Quality control and Quality Assurance (QCQA) Laboratory of NAMDEC comprised of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Microbiological laboratories and Animal house is a most modern laboratory and is recognized by Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) has been developed by this project. A biotechnology and a post harvest laboratories have also been developed by this project. Achievement in extension (a) Development of human resources through training: About 74 (Seventy four) thousand people are formally and more than 01 (One) lakh people are non-formally trained on mushroom production and consumption who are now involved in mushroom production, processing and marketing. (b) Publication and Publicity: A scientific journal named Bangladesh Journal of Mushroom ISSN 1995-0683 is being published from NAMDEC by this project having two issues a year. Thirteen issues of this journal have already been published. One hundred and fifty two (152) scientific articles have been published form NAMDEC in different National and International Journals. A periodical Mushroom in Bengali is also being published by this project. Moreover, leaflet, folder, poster, calendar, booklets training manuals, etc. have published from this project. (c) Articles and features published in print and electronic media. Impact of the project (a) Mushroom growers have received the varieties and technologies developed by SMDP cordially due to their profitability and easy-to-reach utilization and the production and consumption of mushroom have increased rapidly in Bangladesh. The production of mushroom has increased from 8000 M. tones to 20000 M. tone per year within the project period. Now, more than 20000 (Twenty thousand) M. tones of mushroom is being produced in Bangladesh per year. Mushroom is a highly nutritious and delicious food having medicinal value. Now, the general people of Bangladesh are consuming this mushroom. The poorer sections of people who are producing mushroom in their own

dwelling houses are consuming this nutritious food. Mother and children are also being benefited having mushroom and mushroom enriched products. So, this project is playing an important role in mitigation of malnutrition problem in Bangladesh. To produce this amount of nutritious food, mushroom did not compete with other crops for land. So, this project is playing an important role in food security of Bangladesh. (b) More than 150,000 people are now involved in mushroom production, processing and marketing. Of them, about 400 entrepreneurs are involved in mushroom spawn (seed) production throughout the country. A number of people are involved in mushroom enriched processed food like soup, jam, biscuits etc. production. Some entrepreneur are producing capsule of fine grade powder mushroom. So, this project is playing an important role in creating employment or self employment opportunities in Bangladesh. (c) The new adventure of SMDP, the communitybased mushroom cultivation program named Mushroom Palli is creating a revolutionary avenue in poverty reduction of the country where a woman earns Tk. 5,000 15,000 per month from her mere investment of only Tk.6,00 5,000. (d) Local markets of mushroom are increasing rapidly due to its medicinal as well as health benefits. Large scale investors are being attracted to set up mushroom industries. Some entrepreneurs are showing their interest to build up multidimensional industries like food, medicine and cosmetics. Rural women, who could hardly keep the wolf from the door, are now solvent enough through mushroom cultivation. So, SMDP is playing an important role in reducing poverty, mitigating male nutrition, creating employment or self employment opportunity and empowering women.