BENGALURU: Parihar's Skill Development Centre, a wing of the Bengaluru city police, is set to roll out a mushroom farming programme by the month-end to enable domestic violence survivors and underprivileged women to achieve financial independence through sustainable livelihoods.
Dr Bindya Yohannan, joint secretary in charge of Parihar, said the initiative would be added to the centre’s existing skill development courses, which include candle-making, tailoring and chocolate-making, aimed at equipping women with income-generating skills. She noted that the centre has also seen success with its programme to train women in driving autos. Women are provided e-autos along with training and safety equipment such as smartphones and GPS-enabled dash cameras.
“Our trainers are currently undergoing training in mushroom farming. We plan to set up the farms within unused premises of police quarters,” Dr Bindya said. Funded in collaboration with the Horticulture Department, the initiative will combine hands-on agricultural training with technical guidance and market-linked support, she said. The programme is expected to benefit at least 25 women every quarter.
An expert from the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, noted that the mushroom cultivation depends on technical and environmental factors. N Umashankar, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Microbiology, said the success of such initiatives is contingent on the choice of mushroom variety and the level of expertise involved in training and execution.
“Oyster mushrooms are relatively easier to cultivate compared to other varieties, but the process is still dependent on the availability of suitable substrate and the maintenance of specific environmental conditions. Factors such as water quality, humidity and temperature are critical. Bengaluru’s climate is generally conducive for mushroom farming, and situating farms closer to key inputs like substrate can help reduce transportation costs and improve economic efficiency,” he said.
“There is consistent demand for mushrooms, particularly in Bengaluru, but sustainability depends on adherence to scientific cultivation practices,” he added. While profitability will be assessed over time, officials described the event as a promising new initiative for 2026.