Rubber growers in Tripura encouraged to cultivate Mushroom to create additional income avenues

Agartala (Tripura) [India], December 22 : In its endeavour to create additional income avenues for the rubber growers, the Rubber Board Tripura regional office has decided to encourage mushroom culture among the women rubber growers of interior areas. The main motive behind the idea is to ensure better livelihood generation for the rubber farmers.
More than 30 to 40 rubber growers from several parts of the state, mostly tribal women were brought to Horticulture Research Center, Nagicherra where they were imparted practical training on Mushroom spawn culture. The Rubber Board has collaborated with the Horticulture Department of Tripura for the training programme.
Speaking on the issue, head of Rubber Board regional office Agartala, Shailaja said, "The main relation between rubber and mushroom is that rubberwood subtracts are used in mushroom cultivation. We are trying to promote mushrooms as an auxiliary source of income generation of tribal rubber growers, especially, the women".
According to her, all the farmers who have come for the training belonged to a rubber producer society based out of Radhamohanpur, Jirania.
Shailaja further highlighted that a sizable contribution in rubber farming is made by women.
"In Tripura, there are above 80,000 rubber cultivators if both mature and immature plantations are summed up. And, in those rubber farmers, a sizable contribution is made by the women," she said.
"This year, we have expanded plantation in 2,364 hectares of land under the Chief Minister's rubber mission. With the help of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturing Association (ATMA), we have distributed the planting materials among the interested growers for free", the Board head added.
Asked about the quality degradation, Shailaja said that the Board has borne the responsibility to train the rubber growers for the degradation of the quality of rubber produced.
"We are imparting training to the rubber growers for quality upgrading the quality of rubber produced in the state. A scientific method of sheet production from Latex is also being taught to the farmers for the overall development of the rubber quality." As per the official records, the annual rubber production of Tripura ranged between 80,000 metric tons to 90,000 metric tons," she said.
The rubber growers who participated in the meeting also showed interest in mushroom cultivation.
Malini Debbarma, a rubber grower from Jirania block, said, "We have come here to take training on Mushroom cultivation. I have a small rubber garden which is two years old."
Another woman grower Konjipai Mog also echoed the same and said that it would prove beneficial for her.