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 earning Rs 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 vermicompost 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 mushrooms at home. Initially he asked youth to spare 3-4 hours and learn the basics from training programmes regularly conducted by the government.