Farzana Yasmin Bristi, a housewife at Murali area in Jashore, has become self-sufficient through commercial cultivation of mushroom. She has also created employment for 15 men and women. Mushroom cultivation of the woman has become popular in the area and the surrounding districts. Farzana Yasmin Bristi started mushroom farming as hobby and she is now cultivating it commercially. Due to success in the mushroom cultivation, many people in the area are now getting enthusiastic in mushroom farming.
In 2016, Farzana received training from Magura Dream Mushroom Center and started mushroom farming in Narail. Then she started mushroom cultivation on the roof of Ashraf Ali's rented house in Murali area of Jashore town. She made a revolution on rooftop farming. She is now a successful woman entrepreneur.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, Farzana Yasmin Bristi said that although the beginning was a bit of a hobby, she has now taken it commercially. Her mushroom cultivation project’s name is ‘Bristi Mushroom Center’. With a capital of just two and a half lakh, Bristi started her journey to cultivate mushroom commercially. She collected seeds from Dhaka Mushroom Development Center. The rice paddy slices into small pieces in a polybag, the mushroom seed sprinkle in it. Thus after 15 days, the yield starts to come and can be collected. Each bag Yield is available within 3-5 months.
She also said that at present, her center has 1,300 packets and gets 20 to 25-kg of mushrooms daily. The market price per kg mushroom is 250 taka. She does not need to be taken Mashroom to the market for sale. Buyers come to her home. Mushroom Center has 15 women and male employees working on a daily basis. Farzana Yasmin is dreaming processing her mushrooms and exporting it out of the country.
Emdad Hossain Sheikh, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Jashore, said that they are encouraging farmers, unemployed youths and housewives to mushroom farming.