Mushroom farming to be promoted in urban areas: NHB

To promote mushroom farming in urban and peri-urban residential areas, the National Horticulture Board (NHB) Tuesday said it is working out on a feasibility study to permit mushroom crops on roof tops.

According to the NHB, it is in consultation with ministry of non-conventional energy sources to work out a feasibility study to grow mushroom crops on roof tops in urban and peri-urban residential areas.

"In near future residential localities, including commercial complexes, would have numerous solar panels installed on them for energy generations in them. Under such panels, mushroom crops could ideally be cultivated with the cooperation's of residents welfare associations by pumping in roof tops the waste water, littered and collected around such colonies," said Rajender Kumar Tiwari, managing director, NHB.

Tiwari was speaking at the inauguration of the national conference on dynamics of urban and pre-urban horticulture here under the aegis of the PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

"The residential associations need to identify farmers groups and outsource the work for suitable and the best bidders for which financial and technical assistance be provided by the NHB and agencies identified by it," Tiwari said.

In addition to this, Tiwari said that the NHB was aggressively marketing setting up of vegetable and flower nurseries and also working on a mechanism for their accreditation to promote vegi and flori culture in urban and peri-urban areas.