Mushroom cultivation in all public schools of Shahid Lakhan Palika
Himalaya Secondary School located in Saheed Lakhan Rural Municipality-6 serves mushrooms for lunch. The mushroom is produced in the school with the participation of the students.
"We give more than 100 students from Kindergarten to 5th grade vegetables and mushrooms with lunch three days a week," said Principal Ramchandra Bhattarai. The school sells mushrooms that are more than needed for lunch. The proceeds from the sale are used to buy mushroom seeds. Principal Bhattarai informed that the mushrooms produced in the school were sold at 250 rupees per kg. He also said that due to the participation of students in mushroom cultivation, some students taught their parents and started preparing for cultivation at home.
After the rural municipality introduced the policy of mushroom cultivation in all public schools, Himalayan Mavi has taken the initiative. According to the municipality, the mushrooms planted in 46 public schools across Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality have started producing in the first phase. Most of the schools have used the produced mushrooms for lunch. "With the start of mushroom production, we are also preparing to include mushrooms in the lunch menu," said Sukmaya Gurung, principal of Triveni Basic School located in Shahid Lakhan-3.
There are 23 students in Triveni Aavi, which runs up to 3rd grade. The school planted 15 bushels of mushrooms for lunch. "It may not be sweet if you eat it every day, but there is a plan to feed the mushroom vegetables produced in the school at least twice a week," said the headmistress Gurung. She said that teachers and parents are taking care of the mushroom.
ward no. Martyr Smriti Mavi, located at 7, has planted 180 mushrooms. Students have been made to participate in cutting straw, cooking in water, drying, mushroom planting. "Students of the older class were engaged in the work themselves, while the students of the younger class learned how to plant by watching," said principal Rohini Khanal. He claims that all the students of the school have learned the method of mushroom cultivation. According to him, some of the straw required for mushroom planting was managed by the students themselves and some by the school.
According to Rajendra Khanal, Head of the Education Branch of the Rural Municipality, 10 to 100 seedlings of virgin mushroom seeds have been provided for mushroom cultivation in public schools across the municipality. Some schools have planted mushrooms by adding seeds themselves. Mushroom cultivation was done in eight schools as a model last year. "We got a positive response when we cultivated mushrooms as a model last year," said Khanal, "on that basis, this year cultivation has been done in all schools as per the program of the municipality." There are 11 high schools and 35 basic schools in Shahid Lakhan.
The village municipality allocated a budget of Rs 1 lakh in the current financial year for mushroom cultivation in schools. 1 teacher from each school was given orientation training on mushroom cultivation. Mushrooms are usually produced in 21 days. "This program is designed so that students can learn about commercial farming and teach their parents as well," said Khanal, head of the education branch.
