BENGALURU : Here is a start-up which supplies spawn (seeds) to mushroom cultivators. Mahesh Siddamsetty, has done an in-depth research in growing mushroom spawn for about eight years and has established Vin Lab, a startup which produces Mushroom spawn (seeds), Mysuru. The startup was established after undergoing an entrepreneurship training at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Hessaraghatta, under Dr Meera Pandey, a renowned scientist started producing button spawn, oysters spawn, and milky spawn.
“Spawn is an important part of growing mushroom. During the initial days, we faced a lot of spoilage, and there were instances where we had to discard the spawn and start all over again. In spite of tears, frustration, I never gave up. I tried different combinations and designed my own boiler and autoclave. It was only when we set up a commercial laboratory, the volume of sales increased and the problems reduced,” adds Mahesh.
For the first three years he prepared these at home and distributed them to local growers, to check the result. Later, he decided to set up a lab and started selling about 100 kgs of swan every month. “Though I faced losses for initial years, today there is a great demand for our organically produced spawn with custom-made sterilisation units. We have been constantly innovating with new technologies. We are specialised in button spawn and make other varieties as well,” adds Mahesh.
Explaining the technology, he says, “Our sterilisation equipment is custom-built. We have developed a technology which increases the shelf life of spawn for 45 days. We have created a supplement for packaging industry, using spawn to replace thermocol. We have created air-filled bags of spawn with a shelf life of four months. Today, we have customers coming from across the country. We produce around 3000 kgs and we have a production capacity of 7500 kgs.”
“The demand for spawn in the country is increasing rapidly. We are looking for young people to join us in this expanding industry as franchisees. Most of the dealers transport spawn in sacks and in buses, which results in a lot of damage. This is a huge loss for customers. Mushroom industry is not a magic show. Before getting into the mushroom cultivation or spawn production, please get trained from successful people in the industry,” adds Mahesh. Those interested to know more, van contact him on 9003090483 or mail msiddamsetty76@gmail.com