Manish Yadav, who grew up in Delhi, went through various career options after graduating – from UPSC coaching to pursuing an MBA. Eventually, he found his passion in farming, a field he was familiar with due to his family’s farming background.
Recalling his days helping his father on their family farm, Manish, now 28, decided to start his own mushroom farming business during the COVID-19 lockdown. Despite having an MBA, the pandemic halted his corporate job plans, leading him to think about starting an agriculture-related venture.
He named his venture “Shri Shyam Mushroom Farm” and invested Rs 4 lakh to begin with, converting a single room into a mushroom cultivation space. To enhance his farming skills, Manish took a training course under Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ujwa. He focused on organic farming methods and maintained high-quality compost to ensure premium produce.
Operating a 16×14 feet farm, Manish managed to yield around 30 tonnes of button mushrooms in the previous year. He sold these in local markets and supplied to nearby vendors. The price of his mushrooms fluctuated between Rs 40 and Rs 30 per 500g packet, depending on the seasonal availability.
To learn the intricacies of mushroom cultivation, Manish took a 20-day course in mushroom production technology organized by KVK. The rest of his knowledge was acquired through trial and error. He emphasized that mushroom farming is efficient in terms of time, effort, and money, unlike some other forms of cultivation.
Manish observed a rise in mushroom farming endeavors in Delhi following the pandemic. Many of these farm owners were young entrepreneurs with no prior farming background. He found this trend encouraging as it promotes agriculture and demonstrates that profit can be made in this field, contributing to reduced reliance on imports.
From his mushroom farming venture, Manish earns a minimum of Rs 50,000 per month, which can increase based on production and season. He has plans to expand the farm and experiment with different mushroom varieties in the future.
Here are some tips Manish shares for those interested in starting their own successful mushroom farm:
- Source high-quality seeds from local nurseries or farmers for better yield.
- Create a designated room and maintain a temperature not exceeding 15 degrees Celsius. This space could even be a part of your home.
- If you’re considering larger-scale farming, secure sellers or vendors first, as mushrooms have a limited shelf life at room temperature.
- Thoroughly research the market before entering the business.
- Learn compost-making techniques from experienced farmers or online resources like YouTube. Quality compost translates to quality produce.
- Customize your approach based on your specific requirements, local weather conditions, and available budget. Remember, strategies that work for others might not suit your situation perfectly.
- If you plan on large-scale farming, begin with a small setup to grasp the basics before scaling up.
