DEHRADUN
: The lockdown has put many small businesses in a tight spot, especially
mushroom
growers of Tehri Garhwal, several of whom are struggling, with sales having dropped significantly as the perishable goods are not getting transported to the markets.
One such Tehri Garhwal-based mushroom grower,
Monika Panwar, told TOI that apart from the pandemic, an extended winter this year has also affected growth of the fungi.
“This year, we’re facing cold weather in Tehri even in May. This is the ideal season for growing
mushrooms
, but because there has been extra snowfall compared to other years and a mild summer so far, our crop has suffered. Those who cultivate manually have suffered more than bigger players who deploy advanced technology to counter uncertain weather conditions. In fact, some of them have given this crop season the miss and saved the investment,” said Panwar.
A small-scale mushroom farmer, Bir Singh, told TOI that due to the lockdown and poor weather conditions, he decided to skip planting mushrooms this season, and switched to the business of transportation instead.
“I’m afraid that post-lockdown, purchasing power of people will fall especially in the hills, which is our prime market. Locals consume a lot more mushrooms than people of the plains, but their purchasing power is already weaker than the plains people. I was supposed to plant mushrooms for this season in late March, but refrained from it as the lockdown had already been announced,” added Panwar.
Mushroom cultivators who had already planted for the season are struggling the most. “We’re currently trying to sell our produce. We’re in no mood to plant another lot until the market stabilises. This used to be our peak season, as lots of weddings used to take place in the hill stations like
Mussoorie
, and we would get big orders. Sending our products to wholesale grocery markets in Dehradun and
Rishikesh is a challenge, as there are limited transport options. Also, the rates we are getting are very low. Earlier, we used to sell at Rs 100/kg. Now, it’s around Rs 40/kg,” said Kuldeep Rawat, another mushroom cultivator in Tehri Garhwal.
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