TIRUPATI: Aiming to become entrepreneurs, a group of students of Sri Venkateswara Agricultural College has successfully cultivated mushrooms as part of their Experimental Learning Programme (ELP) and earned a profit of more than Rs 30,000. The 15-member group of 2018 batch started cultivating Milky and Oyster varieties of mushrooms on the college premises in January by investing about Rs 25,000.
Usually, button mushrooms are available in the open market in the region, which are imported from northern States. The Department of Plant Pathology of the college motivated students to cultivate Milky and Oyster varieties of mushrooms as they are rarely available in the market and much in demand. Prof R Sarada Jayalakshmi, Head of Department of Plant Pathology, and M Pradeep, Assistant Professor, have monitored the cultivation of mushrooms, besides giving valuable suggestions to them from time to time.
The students had produced seed on their own in the college laboratory and got the requisite investment for fungiculture from the college account. “We have cultivated mushrooms as part of our study project in the semester. It has enabled us get knowledge of finance, farming and marketing. We have planned everything, which includes seed generation, cultivation, harvesting and marketing. The project has helped us gain practical knowledge in fungiculture,’’ P Aswitha, a final year student of the college, told TNIE.
The harvested mushrooms are being marketed under the brand name of SV Agricultural College. “We are also adding value to mushrooms to attract customers. We have prepared mushroom powder and biscuits as part of our value addition. We are planning to prepare mushroom pickles, samosas, puffs and other snacks as part of our business venture. The faculty of Plant Pathology have supported us in our venture and provided valuable suggestions to reap a good yield,” said G Ramya Rishita, another final year student.
“The college has been maintaining an account for the programme and students who want to take up a business venture can obtain required investment from it. But, they need to deposit a part of the profit reaped from the venture in the same account,” explained Pradeep.