Goa University signs MoU for
button mushrooms
Sandesh Prabhudesai
31 August 2002
Goa University has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with Zuari Foods and Farms Pvt Ltd
from Canacona, for button mushroom production.
The Goa University has been engaged
in the research, education and training in the area
of mycology, the science of studying fungi, for over
a decade. It has now taken a step forward in the field
of industrial collaboration, to promote Fungal biotechnology,
by signing the MoU with Zuari Foods, situated at Bhatpal
in Canacona taluka, the pioneer of large scale button
mushroom production in Goa.
The MOU was signed in the presence
of Dr. Prakash Zacharias, the Vice Chancellor, Registrar
Dr. Jayant Budkuley and Zuari Foods Vice Chairman Dr.
Sangam Kurade. It will be executed by the special facility
called Fungus culture collection and research unit (GUFCCRU),
under the supervision of the project scientist and Mushroom
biologist Dr Nandkumar Kamat. He belongs to the Botany
department, headed by well-known tropical mycologist
Dr. D. Jairam Bhat, who has spent several years to create
university’s world class modern mycology laboratory.
One of the aims of the GUFCCRU is to
collaborate with the corporate sector in research and
development. The unit is working on the development
of several new species of edible mushrooms. A strain
of a medicinal fungus, popularly known as Judas’ ear
or wood ear, has been successfully cultivated in the
unit. This technology would be now transferred to the
Zuari Foods.
The MOU also aims at long-term R&D
collaboration and involves high quality mushroom spawn
production. It would also help the university to develop
indigenous technologies as export substitutes.
Speaking on the occasion, VC Zacharias
expressed his desire to actively collaborate with the
local industries. Dr. Kurade mentioned that this MoU
also appreciated the step, stating that it would help
his company to evaluate new strains and technologies.
Dr. Tosha Kurade, prominent city pathologist and director
of the company, was also present on the occasion.
The commercial and economic importance
of the MOU could be understood from the global profile
of the edible mushroom industry. As compared to USA,
Korea, Japan, China and Holland, the Indian share in
the global mushroom market is negligible. There is also
less awareness among the people about the beneficial
health and nutritional properties of the mushrooms.
The general trend is to exploit the seasonally available
wild edible mushrooms. Edible mushrooms are promoted
in the world as gourmet and health foods with a global
annual trade turnover touching $30 billions.
The most popular among the top ten
commercially cultivated varieties is the button mushroom,
scientifically known as Agaricus bisporus. Dr.
Kurade, an expert in food technology, set up a modern
button mushroom production plant in 1994 in Goa. The
plant has been producing more than 300 metric tonnes
of high quality button mushrooms, marketing it all over
South India, including Goa.
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