Three friends from West Bharaura village in Sreemangal upazila, Moulvibazar, Emdadul Haque Milon, Sakhawat Hossain and Md Tanim Mia, started growing oyster mushrooms with just Tk 50,000 and have made a success of it. They now earn a good income and plan to expand.
Their first idea was a cattle farm, but they found it would need Tk 8 to 10 lakh, which they could not raise. Looking for a farm business they could start cheaply, they settled on mushrooms and prepared a 270-square-foot growing room themselves.
To control the temperature in Sreemangal's warm climate they installed exhaust fans, and the room has an automatic misting system. The growers say temperature and humidity control matter most; in hot weather the right conditions are hard to hold, so the room has to be checked regularly. Yields are better in winter.
Emdadul Haque Milon said they started out of a wish to do something of their own rather than wait for jobs. Their first aim is to become self-reliant; as they gain experience in growing and selling, they want to expand the farm and create work for other young people.
Agriculture specialists say mushrooms need little land but do need proper training, good-quality spawn, cleanliness and control of heat and humidity. Sreemangal upazila agriculture officer Md Alauddin said young people's interest in mushrooms is positive, there is room to do well with training and technical knowledge, and the department will take seriously their need for advice and support.
The report is by Krishi Shomoy's Moulvibazar correspondent.
Photo: Livehealthy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Krishi Shomoy
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