SHERPUR, Feb 20, 2023 (BSS) - Young entrepreneur Ujjal Miah, son of Hossain Ali, resident of Narayan Khola village in Nakla upazila, has become self-reliant by cultivating mushroom in Nakla upazila of the district.

"I had an electronics business shop but my business was not doing well due to coronavirus pandemic period, sometimes I had to pay shop rent from my own capital, so I decided to farm mushroom as an alternative source of income," he said.

At that time, "I met an elder brother named Shafiul Alam Suim of Charbasti area, he gave me courage and made me interested in mushroom cultivation."
 
Later, I completed training on the techniques of mushroom cultivation from Savar National Mushroom Development and Extension training Centre in Savar of the capital, he said.

He(Ujjal Miah) started mushroom cultivation commercially as alternative source of income and expanded the scope of mushroom cultivation and he started mushroom farming journey with a packet of 30 spawns.
 
Now, he has built small houses in the yard where he grows mushrooms beds.

Mushroom cultivation is very easy so many educated boys and girls of the area are taking advice from him. A group of young people bought a few packets and started mushroom cultivation. Many of them have been successful in mushroom cultivation. Already, he becomes known as a successful mushroom grower in the upazila of the district.
 
 "Mushrooms are a profitable business and I'm earning well. From spawn to harvest, it needs only 25 to 30 days and that continues for three months," said Ujjal Miah.

Mushrooms contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These can have various health benefits. Mushrooms are getting more popular in Bangladesh due to its taste and rich nutrients. It is also tasty and easy to digest.

"I collect 8-10 kgs of mushrooms every day in the current batch and if the situation remains favourable, he said.

"Each kg mushroom is being sold at Taka 260-300 at the district super shops and local markets from the beginning, I got a profit of Taka 8-10 thousand from each batch," said Ujjal Miah.
Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Abdul Wadud said mushrooms are delicious to eat. It is a vegetable crop in high demand, which is cultivated by many people at present.

It has been appreciated by people as it is rich in various nutrients and tastes good. The demand for mushrooms is increasing day by day. So its commercial cultivation has been started. Many unemployed youths of the area are already becoming financially self-reliant by mushrooms cultivation, he added.