India realizing barely 10% of its Mushroom production potential: Dr. Sangam Kurade

Goa, May 3 (KNN) If one percent of India's annual agriculture waste- around 600 Mn tons
annually, is diverted to mushroom cultivation, India can produce 3 million tons of mushroom, said  Dr. Sangam Kurade. At present its annual production is 3 lac tons.

"The agriculture waste is a goldmine and can be converted into highly nutritious food such  as mushroom and compost', he adds.

Dr. Kurade- a food technologist, entrepreneur and President FISME, was addressing an international forum organized concurrently with 'China International Mushroom New Products and Equipment Expo' 2016 recently in Hefei, China.

Dr. Kurade has set-up India's largest state-of-art  environment controlled facilities in Goa with  cropping  rooms  producing button mushrooms all the year round.

Dr. Kurade presented an overview of the processed food sector in India especially of mushrooms at the Forum.  He highlighted that in spite of global slow down the processed food sector in India  continues to clock a double digit growth.

Sharing his experience of Chinese food industry with Indian MSMEs back home, he  said that  Chinese companies have become world leaders in many segments and a lot could be learnt from their deployment of technology for automization and scale.

China International Mushroom New Products and Equipment Expo' 2016 was an impressive show where over 3000 established enterprises participated as exhibitors. The Expo showcased new  technologies, new products and equipment. This exhibition was sponsored by China Township Enterprises Association &  Edible fungus Branch and China Edible Mushroom Business Net. (KNN Bureau)