An analysis of production and marketing constraints in mushroom cultivation: A study of Basti district eastern of Uttar Pradesh

This study examined the challenges faced by mushroom growers in production and marketing. Garrett's ranking method was used to prioritize and analyze respondent data. Participants were selected through a multi-stage sampling process that combined purposive and random techniques in the Harraiya and Kaptanganj blocks. During the 2025-26 agricultural year, structured questionnaires facilitated personal interviews with 100 farmers. The data collected was categorized into two primary areas: (i) production constraints and (ii) marketing constraints. Production constraints revealed that pest and disease infestation was the most critical issue, with a Garrett score of 56.53. Following closely was the lack of institutional credit facilities, scoring 53.64. Other notable constraints included lack of awareness about input subsidies (51.91), uncertain whether phenomena (50.19), lack of knowledge about advanced production technology (48.10), high cost of spawn and other inputs (44.96) and lack of elite planting material (spawn) (41.67). These constraints were ranked II through VII in the production category. Among marketing constraints, the absence of cold storage facilities had the highest Garrett score (58.25). Price fluctuations and perishability (53.26) was the next most significant constraint, followed by menaces of middlemen (48.23), seasonal demand and high bargaining power (48.60), growers' lack of technical knowledge about processing (47.58), lack of knowledge about potential consumers (46.8), and delay and deduction of payment (44.28). These marketing factors were assigned ranks II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII, respectively.