A 37-year-old young mushroom cultivator, Ningombam Rolendro is gaining tremendous success with the help of mushroom farming in Manipur. Many young entrepreneurs from Manipur have developed innovatively grown and packed mushroom sacks. Mushroom cultivation in the State is also opening job avenues for many in the agricultural sector. The favourable climatic conditions have provided ample opportunities for the youth to take up farming as a business for sustainability.
Ningombam Rolendro started his mushroom business under the name Jamini Mushroom Processing Industry. He grows 3,000 packets of mushroom in his farm and sells 20 kg of mushroom daily at the wholesale rate of Rs 130 per kg. On an aggregate basis, 1.5 to 3 tonnes of mushroom is produced under the farm. So far, more than 700 farmers have acquired cultivation related know-how at Rolendro’s farm. Jamini Mushroom Processing Industry has so far employed three regular staff.
Of the six varieties grown in Manipur, three varieties of mushroom are grown in winter while the rest are cultivated in the summer. Rolendro said that, during a particular season, it is easy to earn 1.5 lakh per month, and during the off season, the income is nearly around fifty to sixty thousand. The favourable season to grow this mushroom is from September to February.
