Although mushroom cultivation can be done throughout the year, the winter season is particularly favorable.
By integrating mushroom cultivation with traditional farming practices, farmers are getting more than double profits.
Mushroom business is a lucrative venture. Mushrooms have importance not only from nutritional and medicinal point of view but also in terms of export opportunities. You can start this business with an investment of Rs 50,000. By integrating mushroom cultivation with traditional farming practices, farmers are getting more than double profits. In the present era, a large number of educated youth are making agriculture their profession. He is not only doing farming but also earning handsomely from it. You can earn a lot of profit by cultivating mushroom with minimum investment. Mushrooms are currently in high demand, and you don’t need a large or open farm to attempt this.
You can start your business right from your home, without the need for special training. Although mushroom cultivation can be done throughout the year, the winter season is particularly favorable for high production of mushroom, as it is also preferred by consumers for consumption.
Know how much you can earn
This is the success story of Rajesh, a farmer from Saidanpur village in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. Initially, due to financial constraints, Rajesh started mushroom cultivation with a modest investment of Rs.20,000. However, he has now scaled up his operations investing around Rs 5-6 lakhs. According to Rajesh, mushroom cultivation has the potential to generate an income of around Rs 3-3.5 lakh within four to five months with an investment of only Rs 1 lakh.
Know how to cultivate mushroom
Production of 10 kg of mushroom per square meter can be easily achieved. Mushroom cultivation can be done by making three racks of three feet each in a space of at least 40×30 feet. Additionally, there are government subsidies available to help you start this business venture.
Method of making compost:
Paddy straw needs to be soaked to make compost and then supplemented with DAP, urea, potash, wheat bran, gypsum and carbofuran. The mixture is left to decompose and after about one and a half months the compost is ready. After this cow dung and soil are mixed in equal quantity and spread in a layer about one and a half inch thick. Two to three inches thick layer of manure is poured over it. To maintain optimum moisture, the mushrooms are sprayed two to three times daily. Finally, a two-inch layer of compost is placed on the surface, starting the mushroom production process.
Get started with mushroom cultivation training
Training in mushroom cultivation is imparted in various agricultural universities and research centers. If you have plans to do large scale farming, it is recommended to take a thorough training. The government provides a subsidy of up to 40 percent for mushroom cultivation, and has also introduced specially designed loan facilities for the purpose.