Samba farmer’s wonderful Journey: Mushroom Farming Revolution with Rs 500 investment to grooming 20000 Entrepreneurs forms

Samba|Mushroom farming expert Pushpinder Singh from Kartholi, Bari Brahmana invested only Rs 500 and started growing mushrooms inside his house using unique methods.
Over a decade ago mushroom fungi vegetable was a lesser-known vegetable in Samba town. According to national figures, the Samba town output of mushroom farming was zero and it continued that way until 2015 when the trend picked up.
But Pushpinder Singh was ahead of his time as he learnt to grow them in 2010 from his father.
Staying ahead of the curve also meant that mushrooms were not in demand and he had to create a market and struggle to attract customers. But this day, his efforts have paved the way for his success and many more.
It began when his father Jagdish Singh, a farmer, learned about a mushroom farming programme being organised by the Agriculture Department at Samba’s Kartholi village. “My father did not want me to sit idle at home and encouraged me to spend time in a productive activity,” Pushpinder tells.
So, Pushpinder, a diploma holder, accompanied his Father for the six-day training workshop on Mushroom Cultivation organised by the Department of Agriculture. And it was that training that helped him become a successful entrepreneur and empower thousands of other youth of his area.
Mushroom Revolution: After completing the training, Pushpinder started growing mushrooms with a minimal investment of Rs 500 with bare minimum free space inside their 600 sq feet house. “I grew mushrooms under the bed or in the corner. I used wheat husks and rotten hay balls as the medium to grow the fungi,” says the 36-year-old Mushroom Farmer. He would pack the material in a polythene bag and arrange the balls in a row. “It would create optimum humid conditions and I succeeded in growing them. Initially, I grew and cooked them in home as a vegetable dish. After gaining confidence, I decided to grow them on commercial scale,” Pushpinder says. Pushpinder identified a patch of land in his village and constructed a bamboo room with locally available materials to create a humid environment. He began growing button mushrooms in 1,000 bags and would sell the produce in the local market. But no one bought them. Mushroom being a perishable item, he incurred heavy losses.
Slowly, Pushpinder received orders earningRs 500 per day. Apart from button mushrooms, he expanded to growing oyster and milky varieties. His popularity grew, and so did the profits. Eventually, he started creating his vermin compost and preparing spawns to reduce production costs. Observing his success, youth from the neighbourhood began requesting him for lessons in mushroom farming. “I appreciated their curiosity and encouraged them to grow mushroomms at home. Initially he asked youth to spare 3-4 hours and learn the basics from training programmes regularly conducted by the government.
Soon, Pushpinder started convincing more youths to take up the project. “Many youths go seeking jobs. I advised them to grow mushrooms as it demands less time and pays more returns, while they can become job providers.
In 2016, Pushpinder started training youths, women on a full-scale and helping them become financially independent. Monday, he has trained over 20,000 persons. “Initially, I provided free training for youth and even provided them with spawns. At times I offered them money to assist set up a room to grow mushrooms. It helped them gain confidence and not face the burden of investment costs,” he adds.
Raju, a resident of Kartholi village, was one of the youth who approached Pushpinder for help. He says, “My household earning was insufficient to meet our increasing expenses. So, I decided to learn a few tips from Pushpinder. The skills I learnt helped me become financially independent within a year.”
Additionally, Raju went on to train over 20 youth in his neighbourhood.
Empowering Youth, Women & Men: At present, people from neighbouring districts also approach Pushpinder to undergo training in mushroom farming. “Now, Women & men also come to learn mushroom farming. There have been instances when town folk have come to me for a 10-day training course,” he shares. Pushpinder says, “People don’t need to come to me. The government and other individuals organise many workshops throughout the year and teach the same techniques. I feel happy as long as many people benefit from the same.” The training and sales from the mushroom earn him Rs 16 lakh a year.
Pushpinder has started processing mushrooms to make them into pickles, powder, biscuits and samosa snacks. “On many occasions, the mushrooms perish due to a short shelf-life. So rather than letting them go to waste, some youth and I dry the mushrooms to convert them into powder. The powder can then be used in multiple food products,” he says. Pushpinder wants to reach out to more youth and spread this revolution he started years ago. “The youth in our region are often confined to the boundaries of their homes. But mushroom farming makes them entrepreneurs and develops their personality by gaining dignity, respect and confidence,” he adds.