The Mendipathar Oyster Mushroom Cluster Project is supporting 1,000+ tribal smallholder farmers from 23 villages in the Resubelpara block of North Garo Hills District secure a sustainable food production system by addressing mothers and children's nutritional deficiencies.
The project delivers the entire oyster mushroom supply chain. The CFC houses the Commercial Spawn Production Lab, Mushroom Bag Making Unit (including an incubation room), Dehydration, Powder, Pickle, Other VA Products, and Packaging Unit, Training & Capacity Building Center, Small Holder Farmer Incubator, Retail Sale & Marketing Unit, and other departments. MFCS has created a sustainable ecosystem including Wastewater Recycling Facility, Organic Manure Unit, Solar Street Lights, and Rainwater Harvesting System.
The cluster makes dried mushrooms, powder, pickles, soup mixes, and chutney mixes. Farmers have sold fresh oyster mushrooms in markets for generations. After the CFC has been made functional, MFCS bought 500 kg of fresh (pink oyster) mushroom and dried it for onward sales. Since April this year, 30+ farmers are utilizing the incubation facility @ the CFC for proper Mycelium growth before transferring them to the individual sheds for production.
MFCS is currently working with Hyderabad's National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) to develop a mushroom powder supplement for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding moms. GoM has agreed to purchase powder mushroom for state MDM use. Technology transfer from IIHR Bangalore has resulted in agreements to design and manufacture 7 value-added items at CFC under the Megha mushroom brand.
The state government has heavily backed this massive project. GoM through DoA & NESFB has provided soft loans of INR 50,000/- every farmer to build IHHL mushroom sheds with 50% grant to each farmer. 309 farmers have received loan subsidies totalling to ₹1.54 Cr. 190 farmers have built sheds, and others are underway. MFCS has received ₹90 lkh as gap fund support for different tasks, including 250KvA transformer from the state government in last 8 months. The facility partially opened on 31 March 2023.
The project's main goal is to standardize mushroom production to enhance fresh and value-added mushroom production and farmers' revenue. The Megha Food Cooperative Society helps North Garo Hills Tribes' smallholder mushroom producers with standardized production, training & skill development, value addition, market linkage, branding, and wider markets.
MFCS, A DIGITALLY EMPOWERED CLUSTER FOR PRODUCTION MAPPING, MARKETING, AND FARMER SUPPORT