Nexus of Good: 'Mushrooming' prosperity

One District One Product (ODOP) is aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country. In Kokrajhar, Assam, under the ODOP scheme, the aim was to look at holistic development of the district. Attempt was made to provide a framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure, including procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. Understanding and solving problems associated with every part of the supply chain of the product was critical to this initiative.

For this remote district of the country, the notified ODOP product is mushroom. Mushrooms are vitamin D and folic acid-rich fruiting body of fungi. These are low-cost health food, nutraceutical in nature, having massive agro-waste conversion ability, and are the highest producer of protein per unit area and time. These are highly suitable as a tool for developing rural entrepreneurship through sustainable development in compliance with UN sustainable goals for zero hunger, health and well-being.

With depletion of land and other resources, together with an alarming rate of population growth, proportionate growth of food and nutrition emerged as a prime concern. Another issue of concern was regarding the management of huge amounts of agro-waste. Kokrajhar had traditionally high rates of anemia, malnutrition, and one of the highest rates of MMR in the country. Run of the mill strategies could not yield the desired results in meeting the Poshan goals. The district had a population of tribal, backward groups and minorities lagging in most developmental parameters. Low income and poverty were a cause for concern. Participation of women in the workforce was also below average.

Against this backdrop, ODOP Mushroom has become the answer to better livelihood and income generation opportunities – with Mushroom being a product easily handled by women. There were no constraints of availability of land or heavy capital. The administration also hit upon the unique idea of developing derivatives and products that could be easily developed from mushrooms, prolonging its shelf life and market value, thereby leading to a greater bargaining power for these producer groups.

Mycophagy is a common practice in tribal communities. Furthermore, the agro-climate of the Bodoland Territorial Region is highly suitable and feasible for mushroom cultivation. Due to minimal resource requirements, very low capital investment, limited water and land requirements, and the wide availability of organic agro-waste, along with the presence of potential domestic and international markets, both online and offline, mushroom cultivation and processing have emerged as popular livelihood options in the district. The consumptive, non-consumptive, nutraceutical and value addition of mushroom products have also helped the cause.

Kokrajhar has been affecting unique convergences for mushroom, resulting in a ‘Jan Andolan’ taking up novel initiatives of convergence of ODOP with Poshan, ASRLMS/ASULMS, Fit India, Khelo India etc. On one hand, this has led to the dissemination of proteins, nutrients, and micronutrients, while on the other, it promotes various livelihood options, improved income generation, and resilience for farmers, women's SHGs, and others. As mentioned earlier, this district has one of the highest rates of anemia, malnutrition, and MMR in the country. Numerous schools were encouraged to provide mushroom-based supplements fortified with vitamins, potassium, iron, etc., through the Mid-Day Meal programme, thereby providing children with additional nutritional supplements. The Bio-Technology Department of Bodoland University was galvanized into action to produce nutritious mushroom supplements that are also appealing to children's palates. Accordingly, the following products were chosen for use as MDM supplements: mushroom soup powder, mushroom biscuits, and mushroom noodles. Other options such as mushroom ice cream, mushroom chocolate, mushroom gulab jamuns, etc., were also reserved for special occasions. Through crowd-sourcing/CSR, mushroom supplements were provided to adolescent girls. Cultivating mushrooms using agro-wastes was also encouraged, making the process holistic and sustainable. Mushroom supplements were also provided as nutrients for athletes. Training was provided to SHGs on mushroom cultivation and processing. Mushroom cultivation, vermicomposting, and waste management were showcased in AWCs to encourage community-level utilization.

These and other innovative initiatives, coupled with evidence-based regimes and data-driven governance, have ensured significant improvements in the Poshan parameters. Prior to the implementation of these initiatives, Kokrajhar had the 10th highest maternal mortality rate in Assam. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of the district stood at 325 per lakh live births, and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) was 23 per thousand live births. The district had around 1085 reported cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). Post-implementation, the number of SAM/MAM children (aged 0-6 years) has reduced by 80.18 per cent, from 1,085 in September 2021 to 215 in November 2022.

The DBT-GoI-Technology Incubation Centre on Mushroom (Bodoland University), along with KVK (Kokrajhar), the Department of Agriculture (BTR), DICC (Kokrajhar), ASLRM, Assam Skills, and NABARD, played instrumental roles in providing training, mentoring, hand-holding, capacity development, spawn distribution, and technology transfer to farmers, enabling ‘training to trading’. Training was provided on mushroom processing, marketing, and branding of mushroom products. Consultancy on obtaining certifications such as FSSAI, ISO, etc., was also provided.

The administration has also facilitated training for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under ASRLMS/ASULMS for mushroom cultivation and processing, which will augment the income generation of these women. Additionally, 327 training camps on mushroom cultivation and processing have been organized to date, training 8,405 individuals in mushroom cultivation and processing.

The district has operationalized a 24-hour Mushroom Helpline (WhatsApp enabled) +919101952358) for spawn, training booking, etc. The DBT Technology Incubation Centre (Bodoland University) developed applications for e-commerce, facilitating online mushroom marketing. Audio-visuals on mushroom cultivation and processing have been developed and shared with farmers as Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) material. The IS Kokrajhar App has been utilized to assist farmers in reporting their issues, ensuring prompt resolution by connecting them to technical personnel or providing instant support.

Kokrajhar now boasts of 11,674 SHGs with 1,16,740 women members. The entire network of SHGs received training in mushroom cultivation and processing. Additionally, through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the District Administration supported 250 SHGs in the construction of mushroom huts. There has been a noticeable improvement in income generation as well, with the total mushroom sales through farmers reaching approximately 30,888 kg, and the total farmer income through mushroom sales in the district amounting to approximately Rs 62,58,017.

This wonderful initiative under the inspired leadership of its DC, Varnali Deka, is a great example of Nexus of Good as the model can not only be scaled but replicated. The multi-pronged and convergence-based approach of the District Administration Kokrajhar has not only helped improve health and economic parameters but also contributed in successful implementation of ODOP.

Views expressed are personal