Mushroom Conclave 2026 held with the theme Mushrooming livelihood options towards a Viksit Odisha

• 63 Thousand MT of Mushrooms produced in Odisha this year
  Bhubaneswar- 25, March

The Mushroom Conclave 2026, held today at The Crown, was organized by The Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (APICOL), a corporation under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), Odisha, to promote mushroom cultivation as a sustainable livelihood opportunity.

The event featured technical sessions on advanced production techniques, post-harvest management, value addition, and market linkages in the mushroom sector.

Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Odisha, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, said that Odisha is one of the leading states in mushroom production and it accounts for 11% of overall production in India. Mushrooms are called super food as it is rich in nutrients, fat free & low in cholesterol and its cultivation is organic & sustainable for the environment. Odisha Govt. is promoting Mushroom cultivation and providing subsidies under MKUY and developing the roadmap for its market linkage, while providing robust logistic support.

A new website of APICOL was launched and Go-Ahead letters were distributed to mushroom producers for setting up their production & spawn units by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri Singh Deo.
Apart from the Ceremonial Session, 9 expert speakers shared valuable insights on various technical aspects of mushroom cultivation and its value chain. The conclave witnessed active participation from over 170 participants across Odisha, including members of the Mushroom Federation, reflecting strong interest from the farming and entrepreneurial community.

During the Ceremonial Session, eminent dignitaries addressed the gathering, including Commissioner-cum-Secretary, DA&FE Department, Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, said that mushroom cultivation provides easy returns & earns profit in a short duration. It consumes less water as compared to other crops or vegetables.

Director, Soil Conservation & Watershed Development, Shri Subrat Kumar Panda, Director of Horticulture, Shri Kalunge Gorakh Waman, VC, OUAT Dr Prabhat Kumar Raul, Dr. V P Sharma, Shri Shubhranshu Mishra, Managing Director, APICOL, Prof. (Dr.) Adwaita Kumar Patra Chairman, Odisha Mushroom Growers Federation, who highlighted the importance of mushroom cultivation in strengthening farmer incomes and rural livelihoods.

So far, 1207 farmers have received approval for setting up various mushroom-based enterprises, including spawn production units and cultivation & processing units for paddy straw, oyster, and button mushrooms. Additionally, 207 entrepreneurs have already received subsidies to establish their enterprises, reflecting the growing momentum in the sector. Many Scientists, Specialists from OUAT and entrepreneurs participated in the Conclave.

The conclave reinforced Odisha’s vision of developing a strong, market-driven mushroom ecosystem and expanding income opportunities for farmers.