An example of success in mushroom farming, inspiring story of Anita Devi

Mushroom farming: Anita Devi, a woman farmer from Nalanda district of Bihar, is today known as the “Mushroom Lady of Bihar.” She has earned this name due to her hard work, dedication and innovation in farming. Anita Devi belongs to a farmer family, and her entire family was engaged in agriculture work. Anita realized in her childhood that the family’s financial condition was not improving by doing farming in the traditional way.

The expenses in traditional farming were high, but the profit was low. Apart from this, lack of land was also a big problem, because her family could not cultivate more land. Looking at all these problems, Anita thought of finding an alternative that could give more profit at less cost. This thought inspired her to move towards “mushroom farming”.

Why choose mushroom production?

About two decades ago, there was no trace of mushroom production in Nalanda district. The farmers of that time used to grow only traditional crops, such as wheat, paddy, and pulses. This farming was usually dependent on weather and soil conditions, and the income from it was also limited. When Anita Devi saw the farmers of her area doing all this, she realized that it was difficult to meet the needs of the family through traditional farming.

Anita Devi, who was herself a graduate and was also very aware of agriculture, thought why not do something new, which could give more profit with less capital. With this thinking, she chose mushroom farming as an option.

Mushroom farming was a new and different thing for that time, so Anita decided to gather complete information about it. For this, she participated in many seminars and training programs, so that she could get the right knowledge of every aspect related to mushroom cultivation. Gradually, with her hard work and right guidance, she became convinced that she could make her family financially strong through mushroom cultivation. This was the reason that Anita showed courage to step into this field and today she has established herself as a successful woman farmer.

Training for mushroom cultivation

Anita Devi tells that she first heard about mushroom cultivation from her father, but how this cultivation is actually done, she came to know for the first time in a seminar organized at Birsa Munda Agricultural University in Ranchi. After this, she took a 10-day training from Govind Ballabh Pant Agricultural University in Uttarakhand. From here she also received mushroom seeds (spawn) and returned to her village and started farming.

Women were given training and help in marketing

Anita Devi associated many village women with her and trained them in mushroom production. Also, she helped small producers to sell in the market. Her husband Sanjay Kumar handles the marketing and now buyers come to them themselves. They also contacted online platforms and hotel businessmen, which increased their sales.

Important things for mushroom cultivation

According to Anita Devi, cleanliness is very important in mushroom cultivation. If there is dirt at the cultivation site, then the risk of disease on the crop can increase. Apart from this, mushrooms need the right seed (spawn) and good quality straw. Production of good mushrooms is possible only if the straw is good. Apart from this, mushrooms also need air, so it is important to make holes in the bag.

How to produce mushrooms? (How to produce mushrooms?)

Anita Devi says that it is best to use wheat straw for mushroom cultivation. Mushroom seeds are put in this straw and it is packed in a plastic pack. Usually one kg of mushrooms can be prepared from 100 grams of seeds. After this, small holes are made in the bag so that the mushrooms can get oxygen and grow properly.

Which mushrooms should be grown?

Anita Devi does organic farming of oyster mushrooms instead of button mushrooms. She told that chemical fertilizer has to be used in button mushrooms, whereas oyster mushrooms can be grown completely organically. For this, the process of pouring hot water in the straw should be followed.

Ideal season for mushrooms

The time from September to March is most suitable for mushroom cultivation. During this time the mycelium grove develops well, which increases the production of mushrooms. However, fruiting can happen even in the month of April, but the mycelium does not grow. Puff panels can be used to solve this problem. Anita Devi is currently constructing new panels and rooms to cultivate mushrooms throughout the year. 

Costs and earnings

According to Anita Devi, the profit in mushroom production is much higher than the cost. One kg of mushroom seed costs around Rs 100 and 10 kg of husk is available for Rs 50. Overall, the production cost of mushrooms is Rs 50 per kg. At the same time, it can fetch a price ranging from Rs 80 to Rs 200 on selling it. Her main goal is that more and more people cultivate mushrooms and their product reaches the market.

Honours and Awards

Anita Devi’s hard work and dedication has won her many prestigious awards. She has received honors like “Innovation Farmer” Award in 2012, “Jagjivan Ram Innovative Award” in 2014, and “IARI Innovative Farmer Award” in 2021. Apart from this, she has also been awarded the “Mahila Parivartan Bharat Award” by NITI Aayog in 2022. Her company “Madhopur” has now engaged 512 farmers, and she aims to engage 1500 farmers by next year.

Conclusion

Anita Devi’s story shows that with hard work, dedication and the right guidance, any woman can make her dreams come true. Mushroom farming not only changed her life, but also inspired millions of women to become self-reliant. Now, her hard work is promoting mushroom production across the region, and it has become an inspiration for other farmers as well.

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