Himachal Pradesh: Raj Kumar, a resident of Chamnade village, has turned his financial crunch into prosperity through mushroom farming. Faced with limited opportunities as a welder in rural areas and challenges in traditional rain-dependent farming, Raj looked for alternative income sources. With assistance and training from the horticulture department, he started cultivating mushrooms, and availed a 50% government subsidy to set up his farm. Starting with 100 mushroom bags, Raj gradually expanded to 400 bags. During the peak season, he harvests around 1.25 quintals of mushrooms daily, making 500-600 packets of 200 grams each. By selling these packets for Rs 20 in the local market, Raj earns around Rs 10,000-12,000 daily.
While the initial investment for the bags is around Rs 50,000, not including the cost of infrastructure, his income has significantly improved his family’s standard of living. “Mushrooms have transformed my economy and raised my family’s standard of living,” Raj said. Rajeshwar Parmar, deputy director of the horticulture department, called Raj Kumar’s success an inspiration for others. “Government schemes such as mushroom cultivation, silk production and orchard development can bring prosperity if used effectively,” he said. Encouraging farmers to adopt mixed farming methods, he stressed the potential of such initiatives to boost incomes and livelihoods. Raj Kumar’s story shows how government support and innovative farming can create sustainable opportunities in rural areas.
