Neelofar is Pulwama's pioneer mushroom cultivator

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Neelofar Jaan with her crop of mushrooms
Neelofar Jaan with her crop of mushrooms

 

Rizwan Shafi Wani/Srinagar
 
Neelofar Jaan from the Gangoo area of ​​Pulwama in south Kashmir had to drop one year of her studies as her father could not afford Rs 16,000 for her college fees. Little did she know that this low point would become the turning point of her life. The youngest of her four siblings, Neelofar has since become the provider of her family.

Neelofar's life changed with the help of the Department of Agriculture that trained her in cultivation of button mushrooms. Her mushrooms sold like hot cakes in the area. The girl whose education was disrupted for want of money has since become financially independent. She not only meets her educational and personal expenses but also supports her family.
 
"We were going through a financial crisis at that time," Neelofar told Awaz-the Voice.
 
"After graduating from college, I wanted to go to university to get a master's degree. I was supposed to pay a fee of Rs 16,000 for my admission, but there was no money at home.”
 
“So I thought about doing something to change the situation.” Neelofar’s father was the sole breadwinner of the family; he has a small honey business and somehow managed expenses.
 
Neelofer joined the training course for mushroom cultivation organized by the Department of Agriculture for the youth under the National Rural Livelihood Scheme (NRLS) and started cultivation at home.

“I  was trained for ten days. At first, it seemed difficult. However, after some practise I mastered the art of growing mushrooms. Mushroom spam was provided by the department on subsidized rates. I planted mushrooms at home and that's how the journey started. Today I am growing mushrooms in plastic bags kept in one of the rooms of my house,” Neelofar says.
 
Mushrooms growing in Neelofar's home
 
Today, she can support her family in meeting all the expenses. Along with her business, Neelofar is also pursuing her master's degree in social work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
 
Neelofar says once she was desperate for Rs Rs 16,000 and today she earns around Rs 2 lakh a year. “Today I am self-sufficient. Because of this business, my family’s financial problems don’t exist. We are living a good life,” she says. Neelofar’s success has made many women in her neighbourhood start mushroom cultivation. She says women are turning to mushroom farming because it does not require huge capital or wherewithal. Besides, it can be grown easily at home.

It requires a room with many shelves. The Department of Agriculture provides ready-made compost in five-kg plastic bags, which are placed on these shelves. Mushrooms require a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. After about 15 days, the mushroom can be harvested.
 
Neelofar said she was grateful to the agriculture department as it is trying to empower women socially and economically.
 
"There are many women in the district who have started their businesses with the help of management and are creating jobs for others. The administration is trying to make women self-reliant and build their self-confidence.