Bangladesh eyes mushroom breeding

DENPASAR: Bangladesh is interested in learning how to breed king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) from Denpasar farmers at Peguyangan Kaja.

Denpasar’s agriculture office crop and horticulture department head Gde Ambara Putra said he had received a delegation from the Bangladesh government last week. “They are very interested in learning urban farming carried out by young people,” Ambara said.

The Denpasar mayoralty has developed an urban farming program involving youth in city areas. The young farmers breed a range of agricultural commodities, including king oyster mushrooms and orchids.

In Denpasar, a number of youth organizations have joined the program. Youth group Karang Taruna Putra Negara based in Peguyangan in West Denpasar has had success growing king oyster mushrooms.

“It’s quite difficult to encourage young people to work in the agricultural sector. The program has been proven effective at reaching out to younger generations of farmers to work in this sector,” he said. — JP