A job at a reputable company, with a salary to lead a decent life — this is the dream for any young professional. However, for 27-year-old Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Lingampally, a suburb in Hyderabad, the dream soon turned into a life of drudgery. As the ennui grew, Mahesh began to seriously consider leaving the job, and starting a business where he could not only earn more money, but also make his own rules. After some deliberation, he quit his job in 2016, to start his own business related to agriculture, more specifically, mushroom farming.
“I was working as an HR professional with a reputed company in Hyderabad. But it was getting increasingly difficult for me to strike a balance between my professional and personal life. I could barely spend time with my family, or pursue any interest,” says Mahesh.
“I chose agriculture because I am deeply passionate about gardening. At home, I raised a mango tree in the garden that produces three varieties of mangoes from the same tree. I did that through grafting techniques which I learned by watching videos online,” he adds.
A New Profession
Before deciding what to cultivate, Mahesh had to take into account two constraints. One, he did not have farmland. Two, he needed to find a crop that would be suitable to grow in humid climatic conditions. After extensive research, he zeroed in on mushrooms, because they can be grown inside a room and have minimal water requirements.
“Additionally, they are not a widely grown vegetable in Andhra Pradesh — only the button mushroom variety is available in the market. I decided to grow other varieties like milky mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. Mushrooms also have a high nutritional value. They are rich in Vitamin B, protein, fibre and minerals.”
Learning About Mushroom Farming
Once he decided that he wanted to grow mushrooms, Mahesh attended two workshops to gain knowledge about the techniques involved in their farming. The first workshop was held at National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) in Hyderabad, while the second one was at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) in Bengaluru.
“This was a 7-day programme which covered all the aspects of mushroom cultivation in depth. From substrate (medium) preparation, and sterilization methods, to the cultivation-room preparation, and temperature/humidity maintenance, I learnt everything there,” he says.
Upon returning to Hyderabad, with an investment of Rs 10,000, he purchased ‘oyster spawn’ (mushroom seeds) from IIHR, paddy straws, and a humidifier from a supplier in Hyderabad.
“I did not have a unit to sterilize the straws, so I washed them in hot water, and let them air dry. Then, I packed the straws along with the spawn, in a bag, and placed it in a dark room of my house. Within 7 days, the oyster mushrooms were ready to be harvested,” says Mahesh.
In a few months, he started growing both oyster and milky mushrooms, and harvested 50-60 kg every week. He started offering them to a local supermarket near his home for sale, but made no profits.
“For some reason, no one would buy the mushrooms! Though I tried marketing the mushrooms to other supermarkets, everyone was reluctant to sell it in their store. They were not aware of the oyster mushroom variety, and were unsure if it was edible,” says Mahesh.
To convince the store owners, Mahesh prepared a video showing his cultivation process, and the benefits of consuming oyster mushrooms. He even prepared pamphlets to distribute around markets, stores, and even clinics.
“After seeing the videos many stores agreed to distribute the mushrooms, but only on the condition that I supply it for free. That month, I had offered 5,00,000 free samples, of both oyster and milky mushrooms, across several stores in Hyderabad,” says Mahesh.
New venture
By the end of 2017, customers were familiar with these products, and supermarkets started placing orders with Mahesh. He went on to register his business under the name Swastika Mushrooms, and began distribution.
“The sale of oyster and milky mushrooms picked up, and by mid 2018 I was supplying to several supermarkets across Andhra Pradesh, and I started earning more than Rs 1,00,000 every month,” he says.
He also built his sterilization unit using a drum, and some other equipment for Rs 8500.
“An actual sterilization unit which is known as an ‘autoclave machine’ costs somewhere between Rs.50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. By doing some research online I created a desi version of it and sourced all the materials locally. To bring all the elements together, I took help from a welder,” he claims.
Providing Employment
Around this time, Mahesh also purchased a new office space where he could provide training for others who wish to start their own mushroom business.
“I realised that this was an excellent business opportunity for unemployed professionals, housewives, and for anyone who wants to earn by practising farming. I decided to offer them hands-on training, along with a package where they could purchase all the necessary equipment from me, and set up their mushroom farming unit. All they would need is a 10×10 square feet room,” says Mahesh.
Till today, he has trained 5,000 people in oyster mushroom, and milky mushroom cultivation, and more than 30 of his students, have started a mushroom business. Not only has Mahesh provided them with the equipment, and the raw material, but he also offers regular visits to ensure the mushrooms are growing healthy.
Anitha Reddy, a resident of Hyderabad, who quit her job as an accountant a few years ago, decided she wanted to start a mushroom business after seeing Mahesh’s story in the news.
“I attended his training program in August, 2019, and by October, Mahesh sir had set up the equipment in my home. He also supplied necessary raw materials, and made weekly visits to my farm for the first few months to check if I needed help. It was a life-changing experience for me. This business helped me gain control of my life, and prove to those around me that I could achieve something too,” she says.
Today, she harvests 10 kg of milky mushrooms every week, and earns upto Rs 25,000 every month.
Mahesh also offers his students a buy-back option. “I purchase the mushrooms that cannot be sold on time from them for a pre-fixed price,” says Mahesh.
Mushroom By-Products
What began as an effort to reduce wastage, led to experiments with dry-mushroom powder and eventually, Mahesh managed to successfully create several by-products such as mushroom pickle, soup powder, noodles, and more. All his products are FSSAI approved.
“Currently they are available in most supermarkets in Hyderabad. There are also some clinics which sell our dry mushroom powder,” says Mahesh.
Ganesh Kumar, the owner of ‘Ganesh Future Group Vegetables’ has been selling oyster mushrooms, milky mushrooms, and the mushroom by-products in his Hyderabad-based store since 2 years. He says, “Customers were initially reluctant to try new varieties of mushrooms, but once they did, they loved it. Oyster mushrooms are a particular favourite for most customers, and the quality of mushrooms produced by Mahesh are exceptional. The best-selling by-product is the mushroom soup powder, customers enjoy it for the taste and its health benefits,” he says.
In 2019, Mahesh decided to venture into other methods of farming such as hydroponic soilless cultivation, sericulture, and apiculture. He registered a business, named Bhagavathimahima Agro Tech LLP, along with Manisha, his former student, who has a Masters degree in Agriculture.
“We had the same goal — produce food using different methods of organic farming,” says Mahesh.
The duo leased 80 acres of land at Shamshabad located 100 kilometres away from Hyderabad, and also hired 30 labourers to stay in the farm, and maintain the plants, bees, and silkworms.
“I decided to experiment with all these techniques because I had attended a few workshops at IIHR related to those topics. Apart from that, I also learnt a lot reading various articles published on the internet, and by doing site visits to other farms in Andhra Pradesh,” says Mahesh.
It has been a year since Mahesh and Manisha started experimenting with the methods of farming, and they have tasted success here as well. Apart from growing exotic vegetables such as bok choy through soilless farming, the duo has produced different varieties of honey such as eucalyptus-infused honey, coriander honey, ajwain honey, Jamun honey, and orange-flavoured honey.
“The products were supposed to be launched in 2020, but due to the pandemic, and the multiple lockdowns, our launch got delayed. We will hopefully begin distributing across stores in Andhra Pradesh shortly,” says Mahesh.
Does he ever think about his former life as an HR professional? “Never! It has been four years since I quit the job, and it’s the best decision I ever made,” he concludes.
If you are in India and are interested in learning about mushroom cultivation you can contact Mahesh at 7842911964. You can also purchase oyster mushrooms or milky mushrooms from him. He ships them throughout India.
Images courtesy: Mahesh Kumar
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)