From unsold packets to Rs 5.5 lakh monthly revenue, how this man built a mushroom business

In a quiet village in Kozhikode, Jasal K (33) once had his eyes set on a completely different life. A handball player during college, he dreamt of joining the police or army through the sports quota. However, a knee injury changed Jasal’s life. 

With his sporting dreams cut short and academics, not his forte, he found himself at home, unsure of what to do next. “That’s when I first heard about mushroom farming. What interested me was that it didn’t require much space," Jasal tells 30Stades.

It was an unusual choice 12 years ago when mushroom farming was still uncommon and social media had limited reach. So, Jasal first attended a class, learned the basics, and put up ten bags with oyster mushroom spawns (seeds) in a small space near his house.

“Today, that detour from sports has resulted in Natural Delights, a hi-tech mushroom farm that generates Rs68 lakh revenues annually," Jasal says.

The first harvest and the roadblocks  

“The harvest from ten bags was good. However, I had no idea about selling them. Coming from a place where mushrooms were not well known, the real challenge wasn’t farming -- it was marketing,” he recollects.

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With no prior experience, he packed three packets of mushrooms and went to the nearest town. There were only two places he could try: the supermarket or the local vegetable shops. “I managed to convince a shopkeeper to keep my packets, but when I returned later that day, they were unsold," Jasal shares.

The shopkeeper handed the packets back to him. Unwilling to return home with unsold produce, he gave them away to an acquaintance - bringing them back would have only reinforced the belief that the venture was bound to fail.

The next day, he went to a different town. One out of the five packets was sold. On the third day, he almost gave up. But a small shopkeeper in another town, 6 km from his village, became a ray of hope for Jasal.

“He told me he had been looking for mushrooms and wanted me to supply regularly. That’s when I felt encouraged. I realized there is demand and maybe I should continue doing this,” Jasal adds.  

From a shed to a hi-tech farm

Three months into farming, Jasal managed to earn Rs20,000. It wasn’t much, but with some help, he built a hay shed to continue oyster mushroom cultivation. 

In the first three to four years, there weren’t major profits but he was earning, and learning. "Farming itself was a challenge and there was also marketing. I had to research, make mistakes, and keep learning," he notes.

In 2018, when floods damaged his shed, Jasal moved to Adivaram in Kozhikode. He started Natural Delights on 4,000 sq ft as a hi-tech farm with commercial coolers and automated systems to maintain temperature, humidity, and carbon-di-oxide levels. This ensured consistent mushroom production throughout the year. 

Oyster mushrooms need a high-humidity environment for optimal growth, and fogging or a humidifier helps achieve this.

“Technology has made processes efficient. Even in my absence, the automated fogging system works. Oyster mushrooms don’t need AC as they grow well at 20 to 26 degrees Celsius. So with commercial coolers, we can maintain production throughout the year," Jasal explains.  

Oyster mushroom production cycle

Now, the farm has 6,000 mushroom beds made using hay, which Jasal says is the best growth medium. "We wash the hay, dry it under the sun, and steam it for sterilisation. Once it cools, we pack it in PP bags with spawn to make the bed. Fifteen days later, once the mycelium spreads, a small cut is made to let the mushrooms grow. 

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“Harvesting begins on the eighteenth day, followed by two more cycles every seven days. Once the cycle ends, the bed is sent to an in-house compost unit and replaced. We have daily harvests,” Jasal says.  

Jasal's farm produces around 75 to 100 kg of oyster mushrooms daily, adding up to 25 to 30 tonnes a year. This generates an annual revenue of Rs68 lakh. After excluding the expenses of Rs32 lakh, the annual profit is Rs26 lakh. 

The wholesale rates are Rs500 per kg, while retail packets of 150 grams are sold for Rs75. Jasal also sells mushroom pickles.

The markets and challenges

Jasal’s mushrooms are now available in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Ernakulam, and Trivandrum. They’re stocked in supermarkets and vegetable shops, and delivered via trains and traveller buses.  

His in-house lab prepares mushroom spawns for its own use and sale. “We sell mushroom spawn at Rs45 for 300 gm and prepare beds for growers. All they have to do is water it," Jasal shares.

Jasal admits there are still daily challenges. Some insect species can damage the mushroom, but sticky traps on the walls keep most of them away. “It’s all part of farming. You have to keep learning, keep adapting," Jasal adds.

While Jasal runs a profitable business, he’s not rushing for expansion. This is because the shelf life of mushrooms is just two days. This limits how far he can send it. Right now, he is researching ways to increase longevity.

Also Read: How this Bihar entrepreneur earns Rs2 lakh daily from mushroom farming

Schemes like the Horticulture Mission and central government subsidies have helped Jasal in setting up the farm. In 2023–24, Jasal was honoured with the Kerala State Best Mushroom Farmer Award, a recognition that validated everything he had built from scratch. 

Farming isn’t a Risk. It’s a Choice

Jasal’s story proves that with grit, learning, and some risk-taking, even the most unlikely ideas can grow big. “There is a general assumption that farming is a loss-making venture. But that's not the case. Anything can be turned into a profitable business. You need to keep learning and adopt new technologies when needed. That’s the only way to survive and grow," Jasal signs off. 

(Chandhini R is a Kerala-based journalist specialising in human interest, entertainment, and art and culture stories)

Also Read: From Rs 2000 investment to Rs 35 lakh annual turnover, how this man built a mushroom business in Odisha

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