Tag: Mushroom

Smt. Naina Kumari

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The Inspiring Journey of Smt. Naina Kumari from Farmer to Visionary Khetipreneur

Smt. Naina Kumari, a trailblazing entrepreneur from Bhagalpur, Bihar, has revolutionized the agricultural landscape with her dedication to mechanized processing of cereals, pulses, spices, mushrooms, jaggery, and mangoes. Her adoption of cutting-edge machinery has not only minimized wastage but also significantly increased profits, marking a transformative journey from a traditional farmer to a visionary khetipreneur. Naina’s innovative approach and commitment to modernizing agricultural practices have not only benefited her community but have also set a remarkable example for sustainable and profitable farming in the region.

Naina Kumari’s established the Farmers’ Producer Organization (FPO) named ‘Vikramshila Gram Udyog.’ under the brand name ‘Shree,’ she sells a diverse range of processed items, including semolina, spices, papad, chips, mushroom, mango pickles, and jaggery. The brand has become a household name, resonating not just across India but also attracting attention from international markets.

Embracing the digital age, Naina Kumari has seamlessly integrated the online mode for selling her high-quality processed produce. This strategic move has not only expanded her market reach but has also positioned ‘Shree’ as a prominent player in the e-commerce space for agricultural products. The shift to online sales has been a game-changer, providing convenience to customers and opening up new avenues for growth.

 Beyond her success in processing various agricultural products, Smt. Naina Kumari is also diversifying her income streams through fish rearing and dairying. This multifaceted approach not only adds to her financial stability but also showcases her versatility as an khetipreneur willing to explore and innovate in different domains of agriculture. 

Naina’s inspiring journey from a local farmer to a nationally recognized entrepreneur has been widely covered by newspapers and social media channels. Her story serves as a beacon of hope and motivation, not only for aspiring khetipreneurs but for women in Bihar and beyond. The accolades she has received, such as the ‘Mahila Udyami Samman’ and the ‘Utkrisht Kisan Puruskar,’ stand as a proof of her tireless efforts in food processing and uplifting the livelihoods of fellow farmers.

What makes Naina Kumari’s story even more remarkable is the profound impact she has had on her community. Through her FPO, she trains local women, empowering them with the skills needed for khetipreneurship. By doing so, she not only boosts their incomes but also contributes to the economic upliftment of the entire community. The ripple effect of Naina’s initiatives has enhanced the market presence of these women, turning them into self-reliant contributors to the agricultural sector.

Naina’s commitment to empowering women in agriculture goes beyond the boundaries of her own success. She has become a beacon of inspiration, breaking stereotypes and proving that women can thrive in traditionally male-dominated sectors. Her recognition for the ‘Mahila Udyami Samman’ underscores the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of women in entrepreneurship.

The journey from local markets to a broader market presence is a an example of Naina’s determination and strategic vision. Once faced with skepticism, she has now become a symbol of success, with those who once doubted her abilities now eager to collaborate with her. This shift in perception highlights not only the resilience of Naina Kumari but also the transformative power of embracing innovation in agriculture. 

Naina’s success story has been notably recognized at different farmer fairs, where her stalls have received accolades for being the best. The prestigious ‘Utkrisht Kisan Award 2021’ further cements her status as a pioneer in the agricultural sector. Her dedication to quality, innovation, and community development sets a shining example for the entire farming community. 

In conclusion, Smt. Naina Kumari’s journey from a traditional farmer to a celebrated khetipreneur is a remarkable example of the transformative power of innovation in agriculture. Her commitment to mechanized processing, online sales, and community empowerment has not only brought her personal success but has also positioned her as a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, in Bihar and beyond. Naina Kumari’s story is a attestation to the potential for growth and success when traditional practices meet visionary entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.

Vivek Uniyal

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Retired Soldier-Turned-Farmer Aiming Big Through Mushroom Cultivation

The Soldiers and the farmers are the two strong pillars of a country. Where the soldiers protects our land on the frontier, on the other hand, the farmers grows food for us on the same land. And that is why the slogan given by Lal Bahadur Shastri – “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer) is so popular and equitable.

This is a story about a soldier turned farmer – Vivek Uniyal based in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), who after honestly serving his motherland as an army man, returned to his roots to pursue farming and nurture the land with its love and care.

Vivek Uniyal got retired from the military after serving for a long time and then he joined the service of Uttarakhand Police for two years. Along with his police duty he also started farming in his free time. As his family members were still practicing agriculture, so Vivek’s inclination towards agriculture was natural and obvious. While pursuing his farming venture, once he got a chance to meet a mushroom farmer – Deepak Upadhyaya, who is also doing organic farming. And from this meeting, Vivek came to know about the different varieties of mushroom – Oyster, Milky and Button.

“Deepak Upadhyaya helped me initially in setting up the mushroom farm. And whenever I faced any difficulty he always assisted with his advice from his past experiences.” – Vivek Uniyal

After meeting Deepak, Vivek’s interest in mushroom farming took a big turn. He talked about this with his family, and even his sister Kusum also showed interest towards it. The duo of brother and sister together decided to start mushroom farming with their family’s consent. They started farming in a room after purchasing seeds of oyster mushroom from Solan (Himachal Pradesh)

To improve his mushroom farming skills and knowledge he also took training. The venture which he started within in a small room was well appreciated by the customers in the market after buying the product and profit was good too. Seeing the yield and the payback, Vivek decided to extend the level of the mushroom farming from one room to four rooms & he also started growing Milky and Button mushrooms. Along with it he also established a composting plant for the mushroom farming, which was inaugurated by the Agriculture Minister of Uttarakhand.

Along with mushroom farming, Vivek is also focusing towards organic farming from the last two years.

“Like we care and serve our mother, in the same way we should also understand our responsibilities towards mother nature. Farmers should focus towards organic farming and leave chemical farming.” – Vivek Uniyal

Vivek visits many villages time-to- time to convince and influence other farmers towards mushroom and organic farming. Till now he has established 45 mushroom plants collaboratively with other farmers. Students from agriculture university visits him to take his advice. And he also feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to help them.

“Mushroom farming is a business which provides employment to the whole family.” – Vivek Uniyal

Future Plans
In the coming time, Vivek is planning to produce products made up of mushroom such as Pickles, Biscuits, Papads etc. and sell them in the market.

Message
“Farmers should adopt allied-agri activities along with farming to increase their income. But in the beginning, they should start it on a small level, so that the business’s profit or loss will be known in advance & there would not be any difficulty or harm in the future.”

Mota Ram Sharma

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A Farmer Who Treated Chronic Cancer-Like Illness With Mushrooms

All farmers do farming, but the farmer whose story we are going to share with you is different from others. Hardly any farmer would have thought about treating patients along with farming. And Mota Ram Sharma is one such farmer who became a doctor because of mushroom cultivation.

Mota Ram Sharma, famously known as Mushroom Man, used to do mushroom cultivation in his 5 Bigha land along with dairy farming almost 24 years ago. Mushroom farming was not in trend in Rajasthan at that time. He started growing oyster mushrooms in the beginning. Most of the farmers only knew about button mushrooms at that time. So, Mota Ram prepared powder out of mushrooms and started feeding the cattle, as he was unable to market the large quantity of oyster mushrooms he had grown. After feeding on this powder, incurable disease like Mastitis in cows was even cured. Mota Ram started growing oyster mushrooms on a large scale after this achievement. When agriculture authorities came to know about this, they advised him to take training. He went to Solan and Jaipur to take the training. And after acquiring all the skills and information, he started growing button and shiitake mushrooms. He started selling button mushrooms in Delhi Mandi, from which he started earning well. Presently, he is doing mushroom farming without using an air conditioner.

As the time passed, I came to know on the basis of my discovery that we can also use mushrooms to prevent many different diseases. There are many varieties of mushrooms that are nothing short of lifesaving panacea for humans. – Mota Ram Sharma

While farming mushrooms, Mota Ram also started preparing mushroom seeds and now he is farming 16 different varieties of mushrooms.

In 2010, he became the first farmer to grow Ganoderma Mushroom in India, due to which he received the Mushroom King of India Award. He uses this ganoderma mushroom variety to make cancer medicines.
“We treat heart and cancer patients with medicines prepared by us. So far we have achieved success in 90% of the cases.” – Mota Ram Sharma

Many people are surprised due to this inspiring feat of Mota Ram Sharma, who has passed only fifth class and has no college degree. During the time of his discovery, he came to know that the cause of cancer in humans is due to deficiency of Vitamin B-17 in the body and this vitamin is present in the Ganoderma mushroom. Presently, he is making different medicines from mushrooms, from which he is treating cancer patients.

Around his farm, he has planted Ashoka trees, Aloe Vera, Asparagus and Giloy plants, which he uses to make medicines.

Both the sons of Mota Ram Sharma are doctors, but now they also do mushroom farming with their father.

Mr. Sharma grows 16 different exotic varieties of mushrooms, whose names are as follows:
  • Ganoderma Mushroom
  • Reishi Mushroom
  • Pink Mushroom
  • Sajar Kaju Mushroom
  • Kabul Anjai
  • Black Ear Mushroom
  • Button Mushroom
  • Oyster Mushroom
  • Dhingri Mushroom
  • DJ Moore Mushroom
  • Citro Mushroom
  • Shiitake Mushroom
  • Sagar Kaju Sarikhi Mushroom
  • Paneer Mushroom
  • Florida Mushroom
  • Codechef Mushroom

Mota Ram Sharma has received many awards because of his efforts and discoveries made in the field of mushroom farming, which are as follows:

  • Best Mushroom Farmer Award (2010)
  • Krishi Ratna (2010)
  • Krishi Samrat (2011)
  • Mushroom King Award Of India (2018)
  • Member Of Rashtriya Mushroom Board
  • Many farmers visit Mr. Sharma’s farm for mushroom farming training
Future Plans

In the coming future, Mota Ram wants to help farmers and solve their problems with his experience and do more innovations in the field of mushroom farming.

Message
“Farmers should take advice from experts to solve their difficulties faced in the field of agriculture and should look forward to making new discoveries in every field.”

Harjinder Kaur Randhawa

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How this 60-Year-Old Woman Established the Foundation of a Mushroom Farming Business in Amritsar and Her Sons made it Successful

Where people in Punjab are still stuck in the cycle of conventional farming, there are some farmers who are breaking this cycle and are bringing innovative farming trends which are helping in saving the nature’s essential resource like water.

This is a story of a family’s effort! Randhawa Family is from the holy city of Punjab- Amritsar, which is known for its amazing cuisine, culture and serene Golden Temple surrounded by Amrit Sarovar (holy water pond). This family is not only bringing revolution in mushroom farming but also encouraging other farmers toward modern and profitable farming trends.

Harjinder Kaur Randhawa is the famous mushroom lady of Amritsar. She started mushroom cultivation just as a side work or we can say it was her hobby, but who knew that Mrs. Harjinder’s hobby will be transformed into a successful business by her sons in the coming future.

So how it get started…
As being the wife of Rajinder Singh Randhawa who was serving in Punjab Police in eighties-nineties, there was no shortage in the house that would have made Mrs. Harjinder Kaur insecure to look for an alternate money earning source.

How a housewife’s interest laid the foundation for the family’s future…
But in 1989, Harjinder Kaur thought of doing something different and utilize her free time in an efficient manner, so she started mushroom cultivation in the veranda of her house. She had no training before starting mushroom cultivation, but her dedication brings the true colors to her work. Slowly she expanded her mushroom cultivation work and started making processed food items of mushroom.

When the sons became the mother’s support….
When her sons grew up and were done with their studies, then three (Manjeet, Mandeep and Harpreet) out of four sons decided of helping their mother and become helping hand in the mushroom farming business. All the three sons especially went to Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan for training. From there they learn about growing different varieties of mushroom like button, milky, and oyster. They also attended other vocational training given by Punjab Agriculture University on Mushroom Farming. While the third son (Jagdeep Singh) was more interested towards farming other crops and later on he went to Australia and started sugarcane and banana farming.

As time passed, Harjinder Kaur’s sons keep on expanding the mushroom farming work and they also started preparing processed mushroom products like Pickles, Papad, Powder, Vadiyaan, Namkeen and Biscuit for commercial purpose. On the other hand, Mr. Rajinder Singh Randhawa also joined the mushroom farming business along with other family members after retirement.

Today Randhawa family is a successful mushroom producer and mushroom products, manufacturers. From seed preparation to marketing, the family members do everything themselves. After Harjinder Kaur, the other member who took the business more seriously and worked towards expanding is Mandeep Singh (2nd son) he especially manages all the manufacturing and marketing part. Mainly he functions through their shop (Randhawa Mushroom Farm) which is situated at Batala-Jalandhar Road.

The other two son (Manjeet Singh & Harpreet Singh) also plays a very important role in running the Randhawa Mushroom Farm, they manage the mushroom farming, harvesting and other work related to the business.

Although the sons of the family are now managing all the work, still Harjinder Kaur participates very actively and personally visit the farming and manufacturing location and guide the other people working on it. She is the main person who takes cares of the hygiene and quality of the product manufactured by them.

How Harjinder Kaur wants to see her third generation in the coming future…

“I want my third generation (grandchildren) should also be the part of our business. Some of them who are  big enough to understand what is going on, has already started showing interest in the mushroom cultivation business. We are also planning to send our grandson (SO- Manjeet Singh, currently studying in 10th) to go for higher studies in mushroom research and do Ph.D. in it.”

Setting mark in the market…
Randhawa Mushroom Farm has already marked their presence on a large scale in the market with their quality produce. Currently, 70% of the produce (fresh mushrooms and processed mushroom food items) are sold through their shop and the rest of the 30% are sent to vegetable markets of nearby big cities like Jalandhar, Amritsar, Batala, and Gurdaspur.

As they are growing three varieties of mushroom Milky, Button and oyster so the revenue is pretty good. On all the three variety the investment is less and income is between Rs 70 to 80 per kg (raw mushrooms). Button mushroom crops take 20 to 50 days to get ready for harvesting, whereas Oyster (Nov-April) and Milky (May-Oct) takes 6 months to get ready for harvesting. Due to their crops readying and harvesting time their business is never out of season.

Randhawa Family…
The whole family including daughter-in-laws are very much involved in the business and they prepare all the products themselves at home. The second son – Mandeep Singh is serving one more profession other than handling the marketing department of their family business, he is working as a reporter in Jagbani Newspaper since 2007 and covers the Amritsar district. Sometimes in his absence, Mr Rajinder Singh Randhawa takes care of the shop.

Nowadays, the government and agriculture department is encouraging farmers towards farming crop that requires less water, and mushroom is one of those crops which doesn’t need water is the huge quantity for irrigation. So by seeing their effort in the mushroom cultivation, Randhawa family has been awarded district level award two times and tehsil level awards many times in events and fairs. Recently (10th September 2017) Randhawa family efforts have also been appreciated nationwide by Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan, where they were awarded National Award.


MESSAGE FOR FARMERS

Randhawa family believes in being together and their message is the most unique and inspirational message for farmers.

 “The family which stays together achieves success very easily. Nowadays farmer should understand the power of unity and instead of dividing their land and property among the family members they should live and work in unity. One more thing that farmer should start is self-marketing because it is the easiest way to earn confidence and earn the right price of your harvest.

 

”

Ashok Vashist

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Encouraging Story of a Farmer Making Money from Organic mushroom Farming and Mushroom Products

The science of agriculture has been refined and perfected overtimes to fulfill the demands of the ever increasing population. And with advancement, farming techniques has also been changed. Nowadays most of the farmers are dependent on conventional farming (industrial farming) techniques, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, GMO and other industrial product to maximize the potential yield of their crops; very few are doing farming without using chemicals. Today, we are going to introduce you to a personality, who also use to do conventional farming earlier, but after getting the insight and knowing the benefits of using natural ways in farming, he started using natural farming methods.

Ashok Vashist is an ordinary farmer of village Haryana, who breached the stereotypical thinking of using conventional farming techniques and started using organic farming methods for mushroom cultivation. He got the inspiration of doing mushroom cultivation by using natural farming method after his visit to Research Center of Mushroom, where Chief Scientist Dr. Ajay Singh Yadav make him aware of the beneficial properties of mushroom and motivated him to start doing it.

In the beginning, when he started mushroom farming, the person other than Scientist Ajay Singh Yadav, who always encouraged and assisted him in farming was his wife. All the other six members of his family also helped and supported him a lot.

Ashok Vashist mainly follows three important steps of mushroom cultivation.

First Step: In the first step, he prepares compost by using paddy straw, wheat straw, millet straw, etc. He cut the straws in 3 to 4 cm and soak them in water.

Second Step: In the second step, he leaves the straw for 28 days in the compost made at home.

Third Step: In the third step, when the compost is prepared, he sows the mushroom seeds which are specially prepared in the lab.

He always follows these three steps while doing mushroom farming and other than mushroom he also cultivates wheat and rice in his farm. By qualification, he is just 10th passed, but this thing never dispirited him in learning and exploring new things. With his innovative thinking and enthusiasm, he tries to create different product out of mushroom, and till now he has created products like honey muraba, mushroom achaar, mushroom muraba, mushroom bhujia, mushroom biscuits, and even mushroom jalebi and ladoo also. One thing that he especially cares about while making different food products is health. So, he uses Stevia powder made from the plant species stevia to sweeten the sweet recipes. Stevia is an ideal healthy sweetener and is also nutritious; diabetic patients can consume sweet products containing stevia without any worries.

Ashok Vashist journey started from a very small platform, almost from zero, and today he has setup up his own business from his hard work, where he sold his homemade products which have been passed by FSSAI. Maharishi Vashist Mushroom is the brand name under which he is selling his products, and many experts, officers, leaders, and media house visit his farm, time to time, to know his innovative way and the idea behind mushroom cultivation and creating delicious mushroom products.

Ashok Vashist wall of achievement includes:

• Certificate for mushroom production technology training programme from HAIC Agro Research and Development Centre.

• Training Certificate by Chaudhry Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.

• Award and Certificate of Achievement in 2nd Agri Leadership Summit 2017

• Appreciation award from DC Amna Tarneem Jind.

Mushroom Seed:
Ashok Kumar is the first farmer of India who recently developed the seed of mushroom, which can be used as spawn.

Well these are just few awards and achievements to mention about Ashok Vashist, even his buffalo also won the competition by giving 23 kg of milk, which gave him a cash prize of Rs 21 thousand. He only owns 4.5 acres of land and 6 Murrah Buffaloes from which he tries to make out the best earning and profit. He is also an active participant of various exhibitions and events which help him in showcasing his products and making awareness of his farming techniques. And with the hard work and passion with which he is working, in future he will definitely going to achieve much more successes and praises in the field of farming.

Ashok Vashist has a special message for the farmers
“Mushrooms are highly nutritious and beneficial to human health. I have generated great profit from mushroom cultivation by growing them in a natural way. As, we know that, food processing is going to be a big thing in the future, so try to take advantage of the opportunity. In the coming time I’m planning to expand my mushroom cultivation to produce products in huge quantity for selling purpose. My message to other farmers is that they should also take up mushroom farming and process them to make different products for selling in the market. Even landless farmers can also make great earning from mushroom farming and they should also choose this field for farming.”

Gurdeep Singh Nambardar

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Gurdeep Singh Script Success Story in Mushroom Cultivation

With the combined effort and support of the whole family based in Gurali village of Firozpur district (Punjab), Gurdeep Singh Nambardar has scripted his success in the field of mushroom farming. Pooling all his resources and determination, he started mushroom cultivation in 2003 and till now he has employed 60 families with his venture.

Starting from a small level and slowly expanding to a grander level, today Gurdeep Singh has earned an identity of a successful mushroom farmer and along with that, he has also built a large mushroom farm. Other than being a successful mushroom farmer he was also Sarpanch of his village for 20 years.

As per the suggestion by PAU he started this venture and in the beginning, it cost him about 20 quintals of straw. Today his farm is much bigger as compared to 2003, and now it cost him about 7 thousand quintals of straw annually.

Many farmers of his village are inspired by his initiative. For his success in mushroom farming, he was also honoured with district-level award for producing mushrooms through high-tech farming at Progressive Farmer Fair conducted in his village by Agriculture Department, Firozpur in collaboration with district administration.

Message:
“Mushroom farming is a profitable venture with low investment. Farmers should invest in mushroom farming if they want to earn well. ”