Sunil Mohan Patnaik Berhampur

Onceknown primarily for migration of workers in search of livelihoods, Ganjam district is now home to Odisha’s mushroom capital. Radhamohanpur village in Chikiti block has carved a unique identity through large-scale mushroom cultivation, with more than 60 families producing and supplying over four tonnes of mushrooms daily to markets across southern Odisha, generating employment and prosperity within the village.

Radhamohanpur village in Ganjam district’s Chikiti block has emerged as a model of rural self-reliance, earning recognition as “India’s Mushroom Village” for producing and supplying more than four tonnes of mushrooms to markets every day.

While thousands of workers migrate from the district in search of jobs, the village has created sustainable livelihoods through mushroom cultivation and spawn production.Nearly 60 families in the village are engaged in mushroom farming, while 10 to 12 families produce mushroom spawn. Around 70 families depend directly or indirectly on the sector, which began gaining momentum in 2012 after farmers received training from agricultural institutions.The village has over 60 mushroom farms, with oyster mushrooms being the primary crop due to strong market demand. Mushrooms harvested here are supplied to Berhampur, Paralakhemundi, Jeypore, Koraput, Nabarangpur and other markets across southern Odisha.Farmers said women play a leading role in cultivation and processing activities, with each farm employing five to seven women workers.Villagers credit late Shantimohan Pattnaik, a former cooperative secretary, for introducing and promoting mushroom cultivation in the area.Despite its success, farmers have sought government support for easier access to loans and financial assistance to expand production and maintain spawn-production equipment.