Basnet earning income from mushroom farming

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Nov. 18: Devendra Basnet of Urlabari Municipality-7, Morang, has been engaged in commercial mushroom farming for 18 years.

Basnet, 42, who planted 10 packs of mushrooms for household consumption as test production, started commercial mushroom farming after getting a good yield.   

Earlier mushrooms were cultivated only in the months of January and February, but now the technology has been introduced to grow mushrooms round the year. 

Basnet, who is producing 1,200 kilos of mushrooms daily, said that by deducting the annual expenses, he makes a yearly income of Rs. 3 million. 

According to him, 60 locals have got employment in his farm named Modern Mushroom Industry. Basnet says that there is no guarantee of profit all the time but one should not feel disheartened by the incurred loss. 

"I had to bear the loss of Rs. 1.5 million and Rs. 2.5 million in two consecutive years when the weather was unfavorable,” he said. 

He is currently producing mushrooms in Tandi, Belbari and Gachhia of Morang besides Urlabari. The industry is not only producing mushrooms but also producing mushroom seeds, he said.

He said that he has been selling mushroom seeds in 10 districts of Koshi Province and some districts of Madhes Province as well.

"In the past, seeds were imported from India. At present, Indian seeds are bought only when production in Nepal is not enough to meet the demand,” said Bhumika Basnet, manager of the Modern Mushroom Industry.

According to her, currently, the industry is producing 500 packets of seeds weighing 200 grams.

Basnet started his business by producing 10 packets of mushrooms. Currently, around Rs. 20 million has been invested in the industry. Along with its own products, the industry buys the products of other commercial farmers in bulk and sells them.

Devendra Basnet has 5 vehicles that he uses to collect and transport the mushrooms cultivated in industry in Morang and different villages of Jhapa. 

It is the main season for mushroom production. However, vegetables are also produced abundantly in this season, leading to a drop in the price of mushrooms, but still, the industry is not in loss, said Basnet.

Around 3,000 to 3,500 kilos of mushrooms are collected in the industry every day. There are 12 people in Basnet's joint family. Except for 6 children, all others are involved in mushroom production, marketing and promotion. 

Owner Devendra Basnet said, “We have invested heavily in this business and there is no turning back now from this occupation. We are happy as the business is giving us good returns.”

Basnet has started production using boil technology for the first time in Koshi Province. Basnet said that straw can be boiled in 6 drums at the same time. This method can save up to 70 per cent of fuel, he added. 

After being successful in commercial mushroom production, the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Morang, has given him a subsidy of Rs. 1.5 million.