MAGURA, Dec 20 (BSS): Babul Akhter, a physically-challenged youth of Borokhari village in Magura Sadar upazila, has become a successful entrepreneur through cultivating mushroom.
His way to achieve the success was also challenging.
Born into a poor family, Babul lost his left leg at the age of five to an unidentified disease.
He, however, started getting an enormous inner strength as was growing up braving various challenges. This childhood vigor guided Babul to be a self-made man instead of depending on others.
At the age of 28, he has not only become a successful entrepreneur, but has also turned himself a mentor to many.
"I was a victim of a childhood misfortune, but thanks to the officials at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) who have encouraged me to grow mushroom to become a self-reliant person," Babul said, expressing his gratitude.
Babul started mushroom cultivation in 2007 at his house and gradually expanded its cultivation after obtaining training from different institutions, including National Mushroom Development Centre.
He has established a mushroom cultivation network in the area with 50 disadvantaged women. Babul has also established a mushroom production centre at his house where about 60 people are working.
He also provides training and other necessary supports to his workers so they can cultivate mushroom at their own initiative and became self reliant.
"Mushroom farming is a profitable business because its production cost is low while yield and price are higher than other vegetable we grow at our villages," the happy farmer said.
He said many people are here becoming self-reliant by cultivating the crop commercially around their homesteads. Mushroom powder and dry mushroom produced at his "Dream Mushroom Centre" are being distributed to different places of the country.
Besides, several pharmaceutical companies collect mushroom from his centre, giving him some extra profit.
Babul sells per kg raw mushroom at Tk 150 to Tk 200, dry mushroom at Tk 1,500 and mushroom powder at Tk 2000.
Besides, he sells a special type of brown mushroom to the pharmaceutical companies at Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000 per kg.
In every month he also sells 500 kg mushroom in different districts, including Dhaka though his distributors and earns a good amount of profit.
"I was a very poor person and was working at a tea stall because I could not continue my study due to poverty. However, one of my friends advised me to cultivate mushroom that changed my life" Babul said recalling the beginning of his mushroom cultivation.
Though Babul was unable to accomplish his institutional study, many formally educated people are now working for him and taking training and advices from him to run their own business.
"I am working with Babul after completing my diploma course on agriculture", said Lata Parvin, marketing officer of the mushroom centre.
Like Parvin, about 20 educated women are now working at the mushroom centre. Babul is trying to expand his mushroom business to all over the country through his distributors.
Deputy Director of DAE Partho Pratim Saha said Babul Akhter set an extraordinary example in mushroom cultivation, which is encouraging many to be self-reliant.
