Former migrant worker finds self-reliance through commercial mushroom farming in Dadeldhura

Dadeldhura: Many young people who return home after working abroad struggle to find employment. However, Antaram Joshi of Dadeldhura has turned the skills he acquired overseas into a source of income through commercial mushroom farming.

Joshi, from Ruwakhola (Asigram) in Ward No. 1 of Ganyapdhura Rural Municipality, is now engaged in cultivating Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms in his village. He began growing Oyster mushrooms on straw in 2077 BS (approximately 2020 AD) before expanding into Shiitake cultivation on wooden logs.

Shiitake mushrooms from his farm currently sell for Rs 800 per kilogram. The price of Oyster mushrooms, meanwhile, fluctuates according to market supply and demand. When production in the Terai districts is low, he can sell them for more than Rs 200 per kilogram, while prices may fall to around Rs 150 during periods of high production.

Joshi went to Malaysia for foreign employment in 2069 BS (approximately 2012 AD) to support his family. After working there for three years, he returned home and later explored opportunities to go to Europe in search of better earnings. During visits to various manpower agencies in Kathmandu, he secured an opportunity to work at a mushroom farm.

Over approximately five years of working at mushroom farms in Kathmandu, Joshi gained practical knowledge and skills in mushroom cultivation. When his plan to go to Europe did not materialize, he decided to put those skills to use in his own village. He returned to Dadeldhura and started mushroom farming.

Initially, he was unsure whether Shiitake mushrooms, which can sell for up to Rs 1,500 per kilogram in Kathmandu, could be cultivated successfully in his village. He was also concerned about local market demand and whether consumers would appreciate their taste. As a trial, he inoculated 50 wooden logs with Shiitake mushroom spawn while continuing to grow Oyster mushrooms.

About nine months later, when Shiitake mushrooms began growing on the logs, he started selling them in the Dadeldhura market.

“As local consumers began to appreciate the mushrooms, demand grew. Consequently, from the second year, I expanded cultivation and started producing Shiitake mushrooms on approximately 600 wooden logs,” he said.

Although production at his farm remains limited, demand for Shiitake mushrooms is increasing. Joshi currently supplies around 8 to 10 kilograms to the Dadeldhura market every week. He said production has not kept pace with demand despite considerable sales potential. He added that Shiitake mushrooms are also in high demand in the Terai districts, so expanding production would not create difficulties in finding markets.

Joshi's experience demonstrates how mushroom farming has provided him with self-employment in his village while also encouraging others to explore the sector. In recent years, he has worked as an instructor in Shiitake mushroom cultivation training programs organized through government offices in the Terai districts of Sudurpaschim Province.

He believes mushroom farming can become an effective source of self-employment and income for rural farmers if locally available resources, technical skills, and market demand are brought together.