Kathua, February 26, 2025: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) has honored Arun Sharma from Kathua district with the Innovative Farmer Award 2025. This prestigious award was presented to him at the Agricultural Science Fair held in Delhi. Arun received this national recognition for his outstanding contributions in the field of agriculture.
For nearly a decade, Arun has been engaged in large-scale mushroom production and is now also preparing pasteurized mushroom compost to facilitate and inspire others. At the fair in Delhi, 34 innovative farmers from across the country were awarded, with Arun Sharma being the sole representative from Jammu and Kashmir. During the event, the farmers had the opportunity to meet Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Arun shared his innovative work and experiences with other farmers during the fair.
MBA Graduate Turns to Mushroom Farming, Earns ₹65 Lakhs Annually
Arun Sharma has created a new identity for himself through his hard work and innovation in mushroom farming. After obtaining an MBA degree, he chose mushroom farming over a conventional job. Today, he has an annual turnover of ₹65 lakhs. Arun started mushroom farming in a small room at his home with limited resources. Initially, he purchased only 100 mushroom bags, spending ₹9,000. His first harvest was ready in two months, earning him ₹16,000.
**2019 Marks the Beginning of Mushroom Compost Production**
Inspired by his initial success, Arun expanded his business in 2015 by taking a bank loan of ₹7 lakhs and adding ₹3 lakhs from his savings to set up a professional mushroom production unit. He constructed a 1,000 square foot mushroom production unit near his house and installed two 1.5-ton air conditioners to enable year-round mushroom cultivation. In response to market demand, he started producing mushroom compost in 2019. Currently, Arun produces 25-30 tons of mushrooms and 500 tons of pasteurized compost annually.
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