Agri-tech Empowers Specialty Farming: Indian Farmers Achieve Steady Income Growth Through the Edible-mushroom Industry

Empowered by agricultural technology extension programmes, the specialty edible-mushroom cultivation industry is flourishing in the Nalbari region of India, bringing forth a group of local entrepreneurial farmers. Chitra Tamuli, a farmer from Tilana village in East Nalbari Development Block, has built a sustainable income-generating business with low investment through scientific mushroom cultivation, setting a model for local farmers seeking transformation and prosperity.

Tamuli worked in a private enterprise for nearly 15 years before resigning and returning to his hometown to engage in agriculture. In March 2021, he completed a 10-day specialized scientific training course on edible-mushroom cultivation at the RSETI Training Centre in Paikarkuchi, Nalbari. He launched his mushroom-farming venture with a small initial stock of 40 mushroom substrate logs.

Under the professional guidance and policy support from the Nalbari District Agriculture Department and technical officers of the ATMA Block in East Nalbari, he gradually expanded his production scale. He also received farming supplies including a chaff-cutter, shade netting and sprayers, which greatly improved his production efficiency.

Today he operates with 2,800 substrate logs. His products hold a firm position in the local market, bringing him a monthly income of up to 30,000 rupees. His venture has achieved promising results: low capital input paired with stable revenue growth.

Tamuli’s entrepreneurial case has now been documented in the local agricultural mapping archive. He keeps practising scientific cultivation under the ATMA agricultural-technology management programme, further developing the specialty edible-mushroom sector and serving as an excellent example for low-cost agricultural start-ups and diversified income generation among local farmers.

(Source: sentinelassam)