SRINAGAR, SEPT 24: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Sartaj Ahmad Shah on Thursday visited the Integrated Mushroom Development Centre (IMDC) at Lalmandi, Srinagar, to review its operations and ongoing initiatives aimed at promoting mushroom cultivation across the Kashmir division.

During the visit, the Director took a detailed round of the centre's key sections, including the Spawn Production Centre, Pasteurised Compost Unit, Mushroom Research Laboratory, and other facilities. He interacted extensively with officers, scientists, and technical staff to assess the centre's functioning, production capacities, and support extended to mushroom growers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director said that IMDC serves as a crucial hub for providing high-quality spawn, compost, and technical guidance to farmers, bridging the gap between research and practical application in mushroom farming, and the department is committed to upgrade the facilities at the centre and steps are being taken to introduce modern technologies, ensure the availability of quality inputs, and commercialize the other high value exotic mushrooms to improve the socio-economic status of our farmers."
The Director emphasised that Kashmir’s favourable agro-climatic conditions make it ideally suited for commercial mushroom production and highlighted its role in enhancing farmers' income, promoting agri-entrepreneurship, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to nutritional security.
He directed the officers to intensify awareness campaigns among farmers about the benefits of high value exotic mushrooms, expand capacity-building programs, and strengthen market linkages for better returns. The visit underscores the Department's ongoing efforts under various schemes to boost scientific mushroom production and support progressive growers in the region.