Impact of KVK interventions on income enhancement and livelihood security of farm women through paddy straw mushroom cultivation

Introduction

Women constitute a major workforce in Indian agriculture and play an important role in crop production, livestock management and household food security. However, rural women often face seasonal unemployment and limited opportunities for additional income generation. Therefore, promotion of low-cost enterprises capable of generating supplementary income is essential for improving their socioeconomic status and livelihood security. Mushroom cultivation has emerged as a promising enterprise due to its low investment requirement, short production cycle and high economic returns. Among the various edible mushrooms, paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) is one of the most popular mushrooms cultivated in India and is considered the third most important mushroom grown worldwide. Mushroom cultivation has gained global importance because of its nutritional, medicinal and economic value (Chang and Miles, 1992) [8] . Recent studies have highlighted the increasing importance and potential of paddy straw mushroom cultivation as a profitable and sustainable enterprise for rural households (Ojha et al., 2025) [3] . Owing to its low cost and profitability, paddy straw mushroom cultivation has emerged as an important enterprise for small and marginal farmers. Mushroom cultivation requires comparatively less capital investment and can be practiced under temporary or low-cost structures. Agricultural residues and wastes are effectively utilized as substrates, making the enterprise environmentally sustainable. Shahi et al. (2018) [1] reported that mushroom cultivation provides opportunities for entrepreneurship development and women empowerment. Similarly, Yadav and Mishra (2020) [2] observed that farmers who received training in mushroom cultivation experienced a considerable increase in household income. Paddy straw mushroom can be cultivated during the rainy season, particularly from June to September, under temperature conditions ranging from 25 to 35°C and relative humidity of 75 to 80 per cent. Besides being economically profitable, mushrooms are highly nutritious and contain appreciable amounts of proteins, vitamins, minerals and Bcomplex vitamins (Caglarirmak, 2007) [4] . Michael et al. (2011) [9] also reported that edible mushrooms are valuable sources of nutrients and contribute significantly to nutritional security. A variety of agricultural residues such as paddy straw, wheat straw, rice bran, wheat bran, cotton waste, sugarcane bagasse and banana leaves can be used as substrates for cultivation (Tripathy, 1999; Maurya et al., 2016) [5,6] , thereby promoting efficient utilization of agricultural waste. Efficient utilization of agricultural and agro-industrial residues through mushroom cultivation provides an eco-friendly approach for waste management (Cangy and Peerally, 1995) [7] . Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) play an important role in www.extensionjournal.com dissemination of improved agricultural technologies through training programmes, demonstrations and advisory services. In recent years, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Raigarh has actively promoted paddy straw mushroom cultivation among farm women and Self-Help Groups through skill development programmes and technical support. Adoption of this enterprise has not only generated additional income but has also contributed towards nutritional security and reduction of seasonal unemployment among rural women. Considering the increasing importance of mushroom cultivation as a livelihood enterprise, the present investigation was undertaken to assess the impact of Krishi Vigyan Kendra interventions on knowledge enhancement, technology adoption and income generation through paddy straw mushroom cultivation among farm women in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.

Materials and Methods

The present investigation was carried out in five blocks of Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh during the period from 2023 to 2025. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Raigarh organized eight training programmes on paddy straw mushroom cultivation, of five days duration, with the objective of enhancing the technical knowledge and skills of farm women regarding mushroom production and related activities.

The training programmes included both theoretical and practical sessions covering various aspects such as introduction to mushrooms, health and medicinal importance, cultivation techniques, pest and disease management, value addition of mushroom products, and mushroom spawn preparation. A total of 188 farm women participated in these training programmes. The impact of the training programmes was assessed using a structured questionnaire comprising information related to socio-economic characteristics, occupation, landholding pattern, and other relevant details of the respondents. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training, pre-training and post-training assessments were conducted. The pre-training evaluation was carried out to assess the existing knowledge of participants regarding mushroom varieties, nutritional importance, pest and disease management, straw sterilization, harvesting, value addition and storage practices. Similarly, a post-training evaluation was conducted after completion of the training programme to measure the improvement in knowledge and understanding acquired by the trainees. The knowledge gain was determined by calculating the difference between pretraining and post-training scores. Data regarding training programmes conducted, beneficiaries covered, and adoption of paddy straw mushroom cultivation were collected from the records maintained by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Raigarh. Economic analysis of mushroom cultivation was carried out using parameters such as cost of cultivation, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost ratio. The collected data were analysed using simple statistical tools such as frequency and percentage. The benefit-cost ratio was calculated using the following formula: The socio-economic profile of the trainees revealed that all the respondents were female beneficiaries, as the training programmes were specifically organized for farm women. A majority of the respondents (77.66%) belonged to the age group of up to 25 years, followed by 14.89 percent in the age group of 26-40 years and 7.45 percent above 40 years. This indicates a higher participation of young women in mushroom cultivation activities.

Results

With respect to social category, more than half of the respondents (52.13%) belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC), followed by Scheduled Castes (45.74%). In terms of education, the majority of respondents (43.62%) had completed higher secondary education, while 23.40 per cent had studied up to high school level. Farming was the primary occupation of 64.89 per cent of respondents. A large proportion of trainees were marginal farmers (43.62%) and landless women (40.43%), indicating that paddy straw mushroom cultivation is highly suitable for resource-poor households due to its low investment requirement. Furthermore, 59.57 percent of respondents belonged to the low-income category, highlighting the potential of mushroom cultivation as a livelihood enhancement enterprise. www.extensionjournal.com The economic analysis clearly demonstrates the profitability of paddy straw mushroom cultivation under recommended production practices. An average production of 85 kg per unit was obtained with a cultivation cost of Rs. 4,900. The average gross return and net return were Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 12,100 per unit, respectively. The benefit-cost ratio of 3.4 indicates that every rupee invested in mushroom cultivation generated a return of Rs. 3.40. The high net return and favourable benefit-cost ratio confirm that paddy straw mushroom cultivation is a financially viable enterprise for farm women. The enterprise provides an opportunity for additional income generation with minimal investment and efficient utilization of locally available paddy straw, thereby contributing to livelihood security and women empowerment.

Discussion

The [1] , who observed that mushroom cultivation helped in entrepreneurship development and women empowerment. Similarly, Yadav and Mishra (2020) [2] reported that training in mushroom cultivation improved household income and socio-economic conditions of rural families. The results are also supported by Maurya et al. (2016) [6] , who reported that agricultural residues can be effectively used as substrates for profitable mushroom cultivation.

Overall, the findings suggest that paddy straw mushroom cultivation can serve as an effective livelihood option for farm women. Therefore, regular training programmes, timely availability of quality spawn and promotion of valueadded mushroom products may further enhance the adoption and profitability of mushroom cultivation in rural areas.

Conclusion

The study clearly demonstrated that Krishi Vigyan Kendra interventions played a crucial role in promoting paddy straw mushroom cultivation among farm women in Raigarh district. Training programmes significantly improved knowledge, technical skills and adoption of mushroom cultivation practices. The enterprise proved economically viable with a benefit-cost ratio of 3.4 and generated additional income for rural households. Furthermore, mushroom cultivation contributed towards nutritional security, efficient utilization of agricultural residues and reduction of seasonal unemployment. Therefore, paddy straw mushroom cultivation may be promoted as a sustainable livelihood option for farm women and Self-Help Groups through continuous capacity building and technical support.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentWe sincerely thank Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Raigarh, for providing the facilities, guidance, and support needed to carry out this study. We also thank all the farm women and Self-Help Group members for their cooperation and valuable help during the study.

References

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