Leena's Mushroom farm. Photo: Facebook
Ernakulam: Young businessman Jithu Thomas, proprietor of Leena's mushroom farm in Piravam here ventured into agriculture while attending college. The youth had saved his income from farming to pay for his future education.
He got introduced to mushroom cultivation during his college days. The farming which began as an experiment ended up providing him with a source of daily income and serving as a major source of inspiration for many would-be farmers. The success of one mushroom farm led to the establishment of three other high-tech mushroom farms.
150 kg mushrooms per day
Jithu has been producing around 100 to 150 kg of mushrooms per day. Mushrooms are cultivated by sowing seeds in temperature-controlled high-tech farms. Interestingly, no pesticides are used in the cultivation. Later, these mushrooms are taken to the market in a standardized manner. Jithu revealed that he is earning a good income from this business. Moreover, his venture helped 12 women to find a livelihood.
He also received financial aid of Rs 8 lakh from Horticulture Mission to establish a compost-making unit at his farm.
For Jithu, his business plays a major role to provide Malayalis with a non-toxic as well as a healthy agricultural product. At the same time, his business is profitable while earning a decent income.
For details, contact 9947427268.
Horticulture mission
Kerala State Horticulture is providing help to farmers for making significant profits by offering them financial and technical support. Quality seed production, installation of hi-tech farm units, and composting facilities are some of the services. For further details, farmers can contact Horticulture Mission's head office in Thiruvananthapuram or district offices. For more details, contact 0471 2330857, 9188954089, or visit www.shm.kerala.gov.in.