Kokrajhar: The 1st Bodoland Mushroom Mela, 2022, held on March 23 and March 24 was jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture, BTR and DBT-Government of India - Technology Incubation Centre on Mushroom and IQAC of Bodoland University, (BU) at BU campus with an aim to provide a common platform to mushroom farmers, researchers, rural entrepreneurs, investors, consumers, policy makers, bankers, social organizations, academicians, people's representative for holistic development of entrepreneurship in BTR, to encourage the farmers for start-ups and to transform Kokrajhar into an international mushroom hub.
The session of the first day started with international seminar on functional mycology and was conducted with participation of resource persons from across various states and abroad. After the talks of the resource persons, few research scholars from different universities across India also presented their findings on research based on mushroom. The session was chaired by Prof. Jatin Sarmah, Professor, Biotechnology, Bodoland University.
After the international seminar, an open interaction session of mushroom farmers and Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC officials), DPM-APART, DPM-ASRLM, banking organizations like NABARD, Canara Bank, Gramin Vikas Bank, Bandhan Bank, Axis Bank, Union Bank, North East Small Finance and HDFC Bank took place where sensitizing of farmers with different government schemes and avenues was done.
The inaugural session of the 1st Bodoland Mushroom Mela, 2022 was led by Ghanshyam Das, Executive Member of Agriculture, BTR; Prof. Pradip Kr. Patra, Vice Chancellor i/c (BU); Varnali Deka, Deputy Commissioner, Kokrajhar, Manoranjan Das, CHD, Agriculture, BTR; Dr HK Sahoo (DSW,BU); Prof Sandeep Das (Dean, Science and Technology, BU); Satya Prakash Bhuyan (GM, DICC, Kokrajhar); Kanchan Bhagawati, CHD-DICC, Kokrajhar, along with teaching staff and officials of Bodoland University and BTR. The team inspected the different stalls and inspired the mushroom farmers.
The second day of the Mushroom Mela started with inspection of the stall review team of five members viz., Prof. Jatin Sarmah (Department of Biotechnology), Prof.H.Bailung (Department of Physics), Dr. Debojit Biswas (Associate Prof and Head, Department of English), Dr. Patrusha Bhowmik (Department of English), and Nijwm Thomas Mushahary (APART). They reviewed 68 stalls and selected three stalls.
The open session was initiated by the introduction of guests like Pramod Boro, Chief Executive Member, BTC; Prof. Pradip Kumar Patra, Vice Chancellor i/c, Bodoland University; and other dignitaries.
Prize distribution to three best stalls was done. Cash prize of Rs 5,000, certificate and a memento were given away to the 1st prize holder, Paritran Narzary (Shradhanjoli Mushroom and Food Production Unit) of Rajendrapur, Gossaigaon. Cash prize of Rs 3,000, certificate and a memento were given away to the second prize winner, Balit Baruah (Parijat Mushroom Unit of Gossaigaon). Cash prize of Rs 2,000, certificate and a memento were given away to the third prize winner, Rimamoni Sharma of M/S Grihini Enterprise, Srirampur.
Out of 179 registered stalls, 68 attended the mela along with 12 banking organizations. The farmers displayed their skills with regard to various food processing techniques and food products like mushroom food drinks, mushroom poori, mushroom pickle, mushroom noodle, mushroom papad, mushroom chocolate, mushroom momo, Mushroom gulab jamun and various other delicacies.
The convener of the Mela, Prof Sandeep Das, Dean, Science and Technology (BU) took ground feedback from the farmers about their needs and planning for the next 10 years to frame Mushroom Mission Policy to transform Kokrajhar district into an international mushroom hub, both for entrepreneurship and research.
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