Bihar has moved into the top position in India's mushroom sector, surpassing Odisha, according to data from the Directorate of Mushroom Research in Solan. The state now accounts for 11 per cent of India's total mushroom output. In 2010, Bihar produced 400 tons of button mushrooms and 80 tons of oyster mushrooms; current production exceeds 41,000 tons.
Industry expansion has been supported by state programmes offering subsidies of 50 to 90 per cent on mushroom kits and the construction of mushroom huts. Women growers receive priority access to these schemes. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 farmers cultivate button, oyster, and milky mushrooms. Dr Rajendra Prasad University in Samastipur provides training and technical support.
Gaya district has become a major production hub. District Horticulture Officer Tabassum Parveen reported that "under the Har Ghar Mushroom Yojana, four to five families in almost every village are now involved in mushroom cultivation." Production areas include Wazirganj, Konch, Manpur, Bodhgaya, and Imamganj. Mushrooms from Gaya are supplied to Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi, and Jamshedpur.
The expansion has coincided with multiple farmer-led initiatives. In Kuchaykot, Gopalganj, grower Prakash Rai began mushroom farming after leaving a private job during the COVID-19 period. He studied market conditions and cultivation systems before establishing production. Under the Mushroom Production Scheme, he received a subsidy of Rs 1,89,750 (about US$2,270) to build a mushroom hut. He later received the first Button Mushroom Award from the Horticulture Directorate in Patna.
Another grower, Rajiv Ranjan from Hajipur in Vaishali, shifted to mushroom cultivation after working for a multinational company in Pune. He learned production methods during a visit to Denmark and has been farming mushrooms for a decade. He now supplies nearly five quintals (500 kilograms) per day to the Mithapur market in Patna. His involvement has encouraged other growers to enter the sector.
Bihar's shift toward increased mushroom production reflects rising grower participation, expanded training infrastructure, and broader market linkages, positioning the state as a central contributor to India's mushroom supply.
Source: Patna Press
