Dhamnagar: Not long ago Jayanti Moharana, a woman of Mirzapur in Bhadrak district, was broke. However, she has now become self-reliant by taking to mushroom farming and set an example for other woman.
He has won many accolades at district and state levels. Though she has plans to go in for high tech methods in mushroom cultivation, financial constraints have been a stumbling block for her, she admitted.
Though she was awarded by the agriculture department, she has not been provided government help, she rued. Another problem for her is that the self-help group she was associated with has dissolved.
Despite odds, she oozes confidence. Inspired by her, many women have started mushroom cultivation. Mirzapur has now emerged as a destination for mushroom cultivation in the district with traders coming from various parts to buy her mushroom.
Initially, she had struggled in her life after marriage. After graduating from Dhamnagar college majoring in Political Science, her parents gave her in marriage. Sadly, her conjugal life shattered due to family strife. As a result, she had to leave the house of her husband and stayed at her parents’ house. Her parents helped her becoming self reliant and learnt sewing, which fetched her meagre earning.
In 2006, she wanted to do mushroom cultivation and met a mushroom farmer Damodar Sahu. She started mushroom growing at the backyard of her parents’ house. Damodar helped her collect seeds, straws and taught her how to grow mushrooms.
Later, she expanded the mushroom farming by making thatched shanties and racks. Jayanti, her son and two other relatives are fully enegaged in the farming. They have laid 30 beds and produce 20 to 25 kgs of mushroom on a daily basis. The mushroom has high demand in various parts of the state. She said, traders from Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kuakhia and Cuttack procure mushroom from her doorstep. She also collects the mushroom of other farmers.
Jayanti said that she can go in for more production had the place been spacious enough to accommodate more beds and make more earnings. She has borrowed from various sources and invested in the farming. If financial help is provided to her, she could adopt modern methods for more mushroom production. PNN