Bihar farmer earns Rs 25 lakh a month from 6,000 sq ft mushroom unit, trains others for free

When Ajay Kumar Yadav began growing mushrooms in 2019, the only farm-related experience he had was of taking cattle for grazing during childhood. A postgraduate in political science, he worked as a brick kiln operator, a sanitation worker with an NGO, and a contractor before finding his true calling – mushroom entrepreneurship.

“I always wanted to start a business, but did not know what to do. An article on mushroom farming in a local newspaper in 2018 gave me a new direction,” Ajay tells 30Stades.

The article had the contact number of Dr Dayaram, a mushroom scientist at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Samastipur, Bihar. “I called him, met him, and realised that mushroom cultivation is what I was looking for. It offers high returns and year-round production in a controlled AC environment,” says Ajay.

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From political science to mushroom enterprise

A land parcel his father had purchased in the Saran district was lying vacant, and Ajay started his mushroom unit with three rooms in 2019.

Today, from a compact 6,000 sq ft mushroom unit, he earns Rs 3 crore annually, averaging around Rs 25 lakh a month by producing 180 tonnes of mushrooms. He offers free hands-on training to farmers and agriculture students from across the state.

Ajay completed his MA in Political Science in 2002, having studied in Chhapra and later at Rajendra College. With limited job opportunities, he joined his family’s brick-making business. Between 2005 and 2009, he worked with an NGO on sanitation projects, followed by contract work for government schemes.

“Despite years of effort, growth remained limited till I met Dr Dayaram,” he recalls.

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Building a Modern Mushroom Unit

Ajay decided not to experiment at a small scale. He constructed a modern mushroom facility with civil work, including a composting yard and three temperature-controlled AC growing rooms, each measuring 65 ft × 15 ft × 14 ft.

Each room was designed to accommodate 2,800 mushroom bags. “The controlled environment allows regulation of temperature and humidity, which are important for commercial mushroom farming,” he says.

Before starting production, Ajay underwent formal training at Samastipur. He sourced mushroom spawns (seeds) from Delhi at Rs 110 per kg. The first batch used 300 kg of spawn to prepare around 3,000 bags.

In October 2019, Ajay harvested his first crop. “The results were good. Each room produced around 5 tonnes per cycle, and with three rooms in operation, I harvested nearly 30 tonnes in just two cycles between October and February,” he says.

The first harvest was sold in West Bengal, the Northeast, and Nepal, where demand was strong.

Then in March 2020, COVID-19 struck. “Markets shut down overnight, and transportation stopped. Mushrooms have a short shelf life. Instead of dumping them, I distributed mushrooms free of cost to local communities. Financially, it was a total loss,” he recollects.

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Scaling to 180 tonnes a year

After restrictions eased, Ajay resumed operations, and demand increased rapidly as people wanted to consume more protein-rich and healthy foods. He increased the number from three rooms to six AC growing rooms. They are now spread over around 5400 sq ft, while the compost preparation area is another 500-600 sq ft, he points out.

Ajay explains that each production cycle lasts about two months, yielding 30 tonnes, or roughly 15 tonnes per month. Over six cycles annually, total production reaches 180 tonnes.

The mushrooms are supplied to markets in Chhapra, Siwan, Motihari, Siliguri, and neighbouring regions. Prices fluctuate with the season, averaging Rs 160 per kg, and rising to Rs 220 per kg in summer.

The result is an annual turnover of nearly Rs 3 crore, with a net profit margin of around 20 percent, translating to Rs 60 lakh in profit.

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How button mushroom farming is done

Ajay prepares compost on his own fields, reducing costs and ensuring quality. The base material is wheat straw (gheu ka bhoosa) purchased at Rs 14 per kg, which is soaked in water. It is then mixed with wood dust, mustard or cotton oil cake, and gypsum, keeping the operations free of chemicals.

Each mushroom bag is filled with 10 to 11 kg of compost and 100 grams of spawn.

After 34 to 35 days, the beds are ready for harvesting. Each bag yields around 1.75 kg to 2 kg of button mushrooms.

The unit operates 16,800 mushroom beds, with spawn sourced from Delhi and West Bengal. The facility employs 60 workers, many of them local villagers, providing steady non-farm employment in the area.

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Training farmers for free

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Ajay’s journey is his commitment to knowledge sharing. He offers a two-month free training programme to farmers, along with accommodation. Trainees work directly inside the unit, gaining practical experience in compost preparation, spawning, temperature control, harvesting, and marketing. “The real experience is hands-on experience. I encourage people to dirty their hands on the farm to learn mushroom entrepreneurship,” he says.

Students pursuing a BSc Agriculture also complete internships at Ajay’s farm. “My condition is simple. You work here, learn properly, and take the knowledge back.”

Ajay is now adding 10 more growing rooms, scheduled to become operational by March this year. Once completed, the expansion will significantly increase production capacity and employment.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai- based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting).

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