Mushroom promises fortune for youth

Enamul Hoque at his mushroom farm at his Gangachara village. PHOTO: STAR

Three years ago Enamul Hoque started mushroom cultivation in a thatched room at his Bakshiganj village home in Gangachara upazila with an initial investment of Tk 40,000.

With growing demand from Dhaka markets, he enlarged his farm that now produces mushroom worth at least Tk 3,300 a day.

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He produces at least three kilograms of fried mushroom every day and sells those at Tk 1,100 per kg. His net profit is around Tk 700 per kg.

"After graduation from Dhaka City College in 1997, I looked for a job. I came contact with a mushroom trader in Dhanmondi area in Dhaka city. He inspired me to try mushroom cultivation."

After a short course, Enamul came back home in 2001 and started cultivating mushroom at his house though his parents discouraged this.

He said he grows Oyster species of mushroom at his farm. It has good demand in the country as it is a delicious and has high protein content.

"I am selling mushroom at the local markets but we are planning to export it to Australia and some European countries as we have already got some foreign buyers over there," Enamul said while talking to this correspondent at his house recently.

Enamul believes mushroom cultivation will expand in Bangladesh because of the suitable climate. It does not need much space and big initial investment. Any body, man or woman, can cultivate it after doing other work.