Nepal, Dec. 31 -- Nepal's mushroom sector has made a strong commercial breakthrough, generating an annual turnover of Rs 20 billion as domestic production expands rapidly.

According to the Mushroom Producers' Association of Nepal (MPA-N), approximately 35,000 farmers nationwide produce nearly 50,000 metric tons of mushrooms annually.

Despite achieving self-sufficiency in mushroom production, farmers claim that the industry continues to struggle with transportation issues for raw materials and policy ambiguities.

Nearly 90 percent of straw-the primary raw material for mushroom cultivation-is transported from Madhesh Province to the Kathmandu Valley and other hill districts. Farmers complain that administrative authorities frequently har...