BARRIERS IMPEDING MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

Abstract

Mushrooms are very nutritious products that can be generated from lignocelluloses waste materials; and are rich in crude fiber and protein. The climate of Bangladesh is favorable for mushroom cultivation. Although mushroom is nutritious food in many countries of the world, but the production and consumption of mushroom is yet to be popular in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to determine the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation and to explore the contributing characteristics of the mushroom growers to barriers impeding mushroom cultivation. Savar municipality was purposively selected as the study area from Savar upazila under Dhaka district. Data were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 114 mushroom growers out of 204 growers selected by random sampling. To measure the dependent variable 20 barriers were selected and scale score was used to determine the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation. For making comparative analysis of the 20 selected barriers impeding mushroom cultivation an overall barriers impeding mushroom cultivation Index (BIMCI) was calculated. Multiple regression was used to analyze the contribution of selected characteristics of the mushroom growers to the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation. The findings revealed that majority (74.6%) of the growers faced medium barriers of mushroom cultivation compared to 11.4 percent faced low and 14.0 percent faced high barriers of mushroom cultivation. The overall contribution was 51.8%. Experience in mushroom cultivation, knowledge on mushroom cultivation, attitude towards mushroom and credit availability showed the negative significant contribution to the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation. Other characteristics of mushroom growers had no significant contribution to the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation. The findings also revealed that low technical knowledge on mushroom cultivation, lack of market facilities were the major barriers among selected twenty barriers. On the basis of findings it can be concluded that consultation and training programs on mushroom cultivation, well developed market facility and giving credit facility for mushroom cultivation can reduce the barriers impeding mushroom cultivation.