Rahul Chawla
Dharmshala, March 26
A woman from Himachal Pradesh has built a successful livelihood through mushroom cultivation, turning a small idea into a source of income and employment for other rural women.
Anju Bala, from Kandrehad village near Chaitdu, began mushroom farming in 2017 after being encouraged by a friend of her husband to explore the venture.
With little knowledge of the trade at the time, she decided to learn the technical aspects of cultivation and later underwent training in Palampur before starting work on a larger scale.
What began as an experiment has since grown into a steady business, with Ms Bala now saying mushroom farming provides her with a reliable income and a sense of financial independence.
She initially started the venture with her own savings, setting up nearly 950 bags for cultivation in a two-storey building she constructed, with one floor dedicated entirely to mushroom production.
Over the years, she says her output has at times reached between one and two quintals, though production can fluctuate depending on conditions.
Bala said the early stages were difficult because of limited technical knowledge, prompting her to complete a six-month training programme in mushroom cultivation.
After completing the course, she also received financial assistance of ₹21.83 lakh under a government scheme, including a subsidy of ₹8 lakh, which helped her expand the business.
She said only four or five people from her training batch continued with mushroom farming, underlining the challenges involved in sustaining the venture.
Most of her produce is sold at the Dharamshala vegetable market, while some customers buy directly from her home for weddings and other events.
As well as earning independently, Bala now also provides work opportunities to rural women in her area. She says the hardest part of any business is making a start, and has urged other women to consider mushroom cultivation as a path to self-reliance.
