Skill Development Training Programme on Mushroom Cultivation and Food Processing Organised

22 December 2025, Kerala

ICAR–National Academy of Agricultural Research Management organized a seven-day Skill Development Training Programme on Mushroom Cultivation and Food Processing as part of the Entrepreneurship Development through Value Addition initiative for farmers under the SC Sub-Plan programme, in collaboration with ICAR–Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pattambi, Palakkad, Kerala. The programme was conducted from 15 to 22 December 2025 at the KVK campus. The programme aimed to build the capacity of SC communities by imparting knowledge and practical skills in mushroom cultivation and food processing; providing hands-on training in value addition of fruits, vegetables, banana, mushrooms, and spices; familiarizing participants with food preservation, packaging, storage, and quality control; creating awareness about FSSAI regulations, food safety, labelling, and preservatives; and strengthening skills in marketing, branding, pricing, and enterprise management to promote commercial-scale entrepreneurship.

The training programme provided comprehensive hands-on sessions on a wide range of value-added products, including oyster and milky mushroom–based products; processed fruit and vegetable products such as Naruneendi syrup, lime-ginger squash, RTS beverages, mango bar, jam, jelly, and pickles; banana-based products including banana toffee, cookies, payasam mix, laddoo, banana pseudo stem juice, and banana flower pickle; and spice blends such as rasam powder, sambar powder, vegetable masala, biriyani masala, and chicken masala. The training emphasized a commercial orientation, focusing on cost of production, appropriate packaging, shelf-life enhancement, quality maintenance, and market demand analysis.

Dr. M. Balakrishnan, Principal Scientist & Chairman SCSP ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad has participated in the inaugural session as the Chief Guest and addressed the trainees and he expressed that mushroom is one of most important sources of regular income in 25-30 days. He also told that food processing and there are several schemes and assistance available from the government to support farmers to take up mushroom production as one of their entrepreneurial activities. During the event, the Chief Guest released a training manual on Mushroom cultivation. This manual serves as a self-explanatory guide for mushroom cultivation and food processing.

As part of the programme, the trainees also undertook exposure visits to the milk processing and production unit at the Dairy Plant, KVASU; the Agribusiness Incubator, KAU; and the Mushroom Production Unit at the College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, which provided valuable insights into large-scale processing and institutional support systems.

During the valedictory session, certificates were distributed to the trainees along with electronic choppers, mushroom spawn, packaging materials, kits, and training manuals as initial support to enable them to take up mushroom cultivation and food processing on a small scale at the village level.

A total of 30 participants, including one male participant, from Palakkad District of Kerala participated in the programme and benefited from the programme.

(Source: ICAR–National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad)