By TBI Team 25 June 2025
Ernakulam resident Jithu Thomas cultivated a keen interest in mushroom farming when he was 19. Along with his mother Leena, he started sowing mushroom seeds in a packet.
Other than attending a training course at KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) Kumarakom on mushroom production and spawn making, Jithu is self-taught.
When he realised the potential of turning his passion for growing mushrooms into a business, having learned of its demand, he decided to become a full-time farmer.
Currently, the mother-son duo harvest around 100 kg of mushrooms from their farm, located near their home in Piravom, every day. Jithu, now 33, says they earn Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 per day.
Leena mentions that her son excels in adopting new techniques and disaster management. Their farm successfully navigated two floods and the pandemic, thanks to effective planning and scientific methods, which prevented significant declines in sales.
“Mushrooms need a controlled climate to grow where the temperature shouldn’t fall under 30 degrees Celsius. We have designed the room and its settings in such a way that around 20,000 beds can be positioned in a space where usually only 5,000 beds are placed,” explains Jithu.