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Abstract
Mushroom cultivation can help in reducing vulnerability to poverty and strengthens livelihoods through the generation of a fast yielding and nutritious source of food and a reliable source of income. The horticulture sector contributes around 28% of the GDPfrom about 13.08% of thearea and 37% of the total exports of agricultural commodities.The horticulture sector encompasses a wide range of crops namely fruit crops,vegetables crops, potato and tuber crops, ornamental crops, medicinal and aromaticcrops, spices and plantation crops. New introductions like mushroom, bamboo andbee keepingfurther expanded the scope of horticulture. Since it does not require access to land, mushroom cultivation is a viable and attractive activity for both rural farmers and pre-urban dwellers. Small-scale growing does not include any significant capital investment too. The present study has focused on analyzing the mushroom producer's market potential by taking into consideration the forces that influences the competition and consumers 'awareness. Both primary and secondary data are used in the research. Self administered questionnaires are used to collect the required primary data from respondents. SWOT analysis is used at the end to generate information and hypothesis testing is used for mathematical reasoning. The research reveals that much needed financial and technical assistances from the Govt. are required on high priority basis. More importantly Mushroom cultivation does not require access to significant land and thus, Mushroom cultivation is a viable and attractive activity for both rural farmers and semi-urban dwellers as a source of sustainable development and livelihood in North Bengal.
Keywords : Mushroom Cultivation, Marketing Strategies, Market Potential, Consumers' Awareness, SWOT Analysis, Sustainable Development, Livelihood.
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1.1. Introduction
Mushrooms are a valuable part of the human diet and are an important food in the United States and worldwide. Their production plays a significant role in the national as they are produced by hundreds of producers in addition to a vast distribution network of wholesalers and retailers. The market for mushrooms has been expanding in recent years. The trend is away from the canned product toward fresh and dried mushroom sales. Many people are interested in the nutritional and medicinal aspects of mushrooms. Mushrooms contain many essential amino acids and can be a valuable food source. White button mushrooms contain more protein than...