Constraints in Adoption of Mushroom Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Study of Prospective and Existing Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Mushroom cultivation has considerable potential for enhancing farm income and providing supplementary livelihood opportunities, particularly among small and marginal farmers. However, participation in training does not necessarily result in sustained adoption. The present study was conducted to assess the adoption status of trained mushroom growers and to identify the major socio-psychological, economic, technological and marketing constraints affecting mushroom cultivation in Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab. The study covered 60 respondents randomly selected from 144 participants who attended vocational mushroom cultivation training programmes conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra from 2021 to 2025. Data were collected through a pre-tested structured interview schedule, and constraints were assessed using a five-point continuum and ranked according to mean score values. The findings revealed that only 28.33 per cent of the trained respondents continued mushroom cultivation, while 71.67 per cent had discontinued or only partially adopted the enterprise. Among socio-psychological constraints, lack of motivation ranked first (MSV 0.58). Among economic constraints, non-availability of government subsidy was the most severe (MSV 0.77). Pest and disease problems emerged as the major technological constraint (MSV 0.73), while lack of transport was the most severe marketing constraint (MSV 0.98), followed by exploitation by middlemen (MSV 0.88). The findings indicate that sustained adoption of mushroom cultivation is influenced by interconnected motivational, financial, technological and marketing factors rather than technical training alone. The study recommends strengthening post-training follow-up, technical guidance, access to quality spawn, financial and subsidy support, disease-management services, transportation and storage facilities, and market linkages, along with entrepreneurial and business development training. An integrated institutional support system is essential for converting mushroom cultivation training into sustainable and profitable enterprises.