Punjab Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (PAMETI) organized a four-day training programme on “Mushroom Cultivation and Processing” from 2-5 February, 2026 at its campus under RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) project. The programme was conducted with the objective of enhancing the technical knowledge and entrepreneurial skills of farmers in the field of mushroom production and value addition. In this training, 92 farmers and farm women from different districts of Punjab participated.
Dr. Rupinder Kaur, Deputy Director (HRM), PAMETI while welcoming all the participants, explained the objectives and four-day content to the trainees. The introduction and importance of the programme was highlighted by Dr. K.B. Singh, Director, PAMETI, who emphasized the importance of mushroom cultivation as a profitable agri-enterprise and a means to increase farmers’ income.
During the programme, expert sessions were delivered by mycologists from Department of Microbiology, PAU on various aspects of mushroom cultivation including varieties of mushroom for cultivation in Punjab, farm design, compost making (short and long methods). Experts conducted practical sessions on spawn and compost preparation alongwith hand-on experience to participants. Dr. Poonam Sachdev from Department of Food Science & Technology, PAU organized practical sessions on mushroom processing, covering drying, powder making, and pickle preparation.
Participants were also apprised of financial support and subsidy schemes available for farmers under horticulture, which was covered by Mrs. Jaspreet Kaur, HDO from Department of Horticulture, Ludhiana. An exposure visit was also organized to a progressive mushroom grower’s unit ‘Dhaliwal Mushroom farm’ at village-Malliana, Moga to provide hands-on learning experience. Dr. Ravneet Singh, Deputy Director (PHT) demonstrated various packaging techniques at “Small-scale Packaging centre for Horicultural produce for small and marginal farmers” developed at PAMETI.
The programme concluded with a session on marketing strategies including branding and certification, followed by feedback and certificate distribution. The training received an encouraging response from participants, who appreciated the practical orientation and expert guidance provided during the programme.