How mushroom farming is helping women entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir

Pic Courtesy: Pixabay image used for representational use only

Two girls from Tral village of Pulwama district of South Kashmir have started mushroom cultivation under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) scheme.

Raukaya Jan and Sobiya who hail from Dadsar village turned entrepreneurs by taking up mushroom cultivation. The Department of Agriculture helped both of them to establish mushroom units with financial and technical help.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Raukaya Jan said, "The department of agriculture provided us with a subsidy to start the mushroom unit and also imparted us training. They have made all possible efforts to make our units successful. We are thankful to them. I was unemployed despite being a postgraduate. Now under this scheme, I have started my own mushroom unit at my home."

Jan further said, "People of Jammu and Kashmir should take up mushroom cultivation to tackle the issue of unemployment and suggested creating their own employment as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Another Kashmiri girl, Sobiya said that the youth of Kashmir should get benefitted from the scheme.

"It is a very good scheme. It is mainly for the girls to a great extent. We have been benefited as the department has provided us with a subsidy. They keep coming here from time to time and trained us. The youths of Kashmir valley should take benefit from this scheme and start their own business units," she said.

DDC chairperson Pulwama Syed Bari Andrabi said, "NRLM scheme is progressive and we are trying to cover all blocks of Pulwama in this scheme so that unemployed youths get benefits, particularly women folks."