Abstract:
Improving rural livelihood through small scale enterprises has been practicing in Sri Lanka from early
ages. However performance of such activities varies depending on the activities and the location.
Mushrooms can be grown as a small scale enterprise in rural areas as it it involves with a short production
period, low inputs and low space. Main objectives of this study are to identify the present status of
mushroom production, its effects on the livelihood of the producers and to find the problems related to
the mushroom production. The study was done in Kamburupitiya Divisional Secretariat of Matara District.
All the members of "Kamburupitiya Ekamuthu Bimmal Samajaya" (sample size=37) were interviewed
using a structured questionnaire. In addition to the questionnaire survey, direct observations and
discussions with relevant stakeholders were made for further information. The descriptive statistical tools
and the Wilcoxon Sign Ranked Test were employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that the major
problems were difficulty of obtaining reliable seeds in time (76%), problem of quality raw materials (saw
dust) (57%), quality of other inputs (43%), unavailability of advisory or extension services (41%),
problem of finance when required to replace the fixed items (37%) and technical know-how to face some
of the emerging new pests and diseases (33%). Among the social aspects, support from the spouse,
support from family members, their living standard and social relationships significantly increased the
activities of mushroom production. The study concludes that there is a potential to improve the
mushroom industry in the area as there is a growing market.
