Current Status, Challenges and Prospects of Mushroom Industry in Nepal

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the current scenario of the mushroom enterprise in Nepal. The study provides insights on its future prospects as a major agro-industry. It also explores issues and challenges facing the Nepalese’s mushroom industry by using a critical and SWOT analysis. Though, Nepal has all the requisites of low-cost labor, favorable climatic conditions, plentiful cheap supply of raw substrates, spawns and other inputs to become a leading mushroom producer. The Nepalese mushroom industry is still in the state of infancy. The main challenges include inadequate scientific research on mushrooms; lack of adoption of improved technology, insufficient investment; unstable farm-gate prices and profit margins, poor supply and the increasing price of raw material e.g., rice straw; the poor quality of mushroom spawn, and the threat of diseases and pests attack. Several strategies are also presented here to improve the mushroom enterprise in Nepal.