{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "In Barmer's parched desert fields, mushrooms sprouting after rain are fetching Rs 600 a kilo",
  "summary": "Wild mushrooms growing naturally in barren fields near the Pakistan border in Barmer, Rajasthan are selling for around Rs 600 a kilo, while the dried powder made from them fetches up to Rs 2,500 a kilo.",
  "content": "In Barmer district of western Rajasthan, where a shortage of water is usually the single biggest obstacle to farming, the monsoon season turns barren fields into an unlikely source of income. Along this desert stretch bordering Pakistan, a wild mushroom that grows on its own in the fields is currently selling for close to Rs 600 a kilo. Villagers head out to the fields early each morning, gather the mushrooms and carry them straight to market, earning a decent sum without much effort.\n\nNearly a tonne sold every day, and why prices are up this year\nThe scale of demand in Barmer city says a lot: roughly 1 tonne of the mushroom is sold there every single day. This year, though, the monsoon has not been kind, and that has cut into the natural yield coming out of the fields. With less of the mushroom on offer, prices have climbed compared with a normal season. Local traders say the mushroom's arrival in the market tracks soil moisture closely, rising whenever the fields stay damp, but this year's patchy rain has kept supply limited.\n\nRich in nutrients, low in calories and fat\nDr Ramesh Dhande, deputy director at an Ayurveda college, says the mushroom is packed with nutrition. It contains protein, calcium, fibre, vitamins and several essential minerals, he explains. According to Dr Dhande, its calorie and fat content stays comparatively low, which is why it is considered a genuinely healthy food to include in everyday meals.\n\nDried powder sells for Rs 2,500 a kilo, said to speed bone healing\nThe dried powder made from the mushroom is valued in its own right. It is believed that mixing the powder with butter and eating it helps a sprain or a broken bone heal faster, and that belief has helped push the price of the dried powder to around Rs 2,500 a kilo. In everyday use it is simply called mushroom, while in scientific terminology it is referred to as Florian. Through the rainy season, rural households gather it and sell it on, turning land that would otherwise sit unused into a genuine source of income.\n\nMushrooms appear in the fields as soon as it rains\nBhagwaram Jaipal, a resident of Jaisindhar, has been trading in this mushroom for a long time. As he puts it, \"once it rains, mushrooms start coming up in the fields on their own.\" Every morning Bhagwaram heads out to the fields, collects the mushrooms, and sells the harvest in the market the same day. Right now he is getting between Rs 500 and Rs 600 a kilo. He says the trade brings his family extra income through the monsoon months, and with Barmer city's daily demand holding at around a tonne, small traders across the area are seeing a direct benefit too.\n\nWhat this means for you\nEven barren land can bring in real money during the monsoon, and that is a practical takeaway for anyone living in dry or desert regions.\n\n• Across India: In any dry or desert region where a similar wild mushroom appears naturally in the fields after rain, rural families can gather and sell it for extra seasonal income without needing any major investment or farming equipment.\n• In Barmer: With daily demand running at around 1 tonne, families connected to the villages are seeing direct earnings, though this year's lower yield has pushed prices up to Rs 500 to Rs 600 a kilo. Those who dry it into powder can get around Rs 2,500 a kilo.\n• For consumers: Being rich in protein, calcium, fibre and vitamins while staying low in calories, it can be a healthy, affordable option, provided buyers are getting fresh mushroom that has been correctly identified.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What price is the mushroom fetching in Barmer?\nIt is currently selling for around Rs 600 a kilo in the market.\n\n2. How much of it is sold in Barmer city daily?\nAround 1 tonne of the mushroom is sold in Barmer city every day.\n\n3. Why have prices risen this year?\nA weak monsoon this year reduced the mushroom's natural yield in the fields, pushing prices up.\n\n4. How much does the dried powder cost?\nThe dried powder made from the mushroom sells for around Rs 2,500 a kilo.\n\n5. What are its health benefits?\nDr Ramesh Dhande, deputy director at an Ayurveda college, says it contains protein, calcium, fibre, vitamins and minerals, while being low in calories and fat.\n\n6. Where and how does this mushroom grow?\nIt grows naturally in barren fields in Barmer, near the Pakistan border, after rain.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/barisha-ke-bada-barmer-ke-bnjara-kheton-se-nikala-rahi-kimati-khumbhi-kisanon-ko-mila-raha-mota-munapha-28843",
  "category": "Rajasthan",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-07",
  "tags": [
    "Barmer",
    "Khumbhi mushroom",
    "Rajasthan farming",
    "farmer income",
    "Ayurveda",
    "monsoon",
    "desert agriculture"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}