IoT Based Monitoring System for Mushroom Farming and Supply Chain Management

More over 4/5 of the working population in Uttarakhand is employed in agriculture, making it completely dependent on the industry. A number of slopes have been converted into field terraces, which is a widespread practise in mountain agriculture. Some farmers turned to mushroom gardening as a side business to increase their income. A simple random selection process was used to pick 25 mushroom growers from the hilly areas of Nainital district for the study, which had a descriptive nature. Respondents to a closed-ended questionnaire were encouraged to provide information. Basic statistics including frequencies, percentages, and means were used to evaluate the acquired data. The aim of this study is to identify the current practices of mushroom growers in the region, consumer preferences and perceptions of mushroom quality and packaging, and the implications of the findings for the growers and other stakeholders. The results revealed that most of the respondents had limited knowledge of processing and packaging techniques to increase the shelf life of mushrooms. In addition, the transport cost from the hilly areas further added to the difficulties faced by the growers in selling their produce. The study recommends providing training and assistance to the growers in packaging and processing techniques to increase the shelf life of mushrooms. Policymakers need to provide better transportation facilities to the growers to enable them to sell their produce at fair prices. The study highlighted the necessity for mushroom growers to have canning and refrigerated facilities in the event of increasing production to prevent distressed sales and to raise public awareness of the nutritional value of mushrooms to encourage increased consumption.