Baramulla, Nov 8: Although multitasking is difficult, educator-turned-entrepreneur Rizwan Hamid Khan showed it is simple – “by managing your time and effort”. A resident of Baramulla’s Sherwani Colony Fatehgarh, Rizwan began cultivating mushrooms a few months ago with help from the Agriculture department. Now, he is now reaping the benefits.
He is going strong with each passing day and has enabled young people in Jammu & Kashmir to receive government assistance to begin mushroom farming and support the agriculture sector.
“The demand for mushrooms is so high in the market that I am unable to cope with the demand right now,” Rizwan told Rising Kashmir.
The successful agripreneur currently earns between 15,000 and 20,000 rupees every month from growing mushrooms. “I have qualified several exams but those were scrapped. Recently I qualified for the JKSI examination with 109 points but the list got scrapped and I was left with no job. Right now, I think it was a blessing in disguise for me,” he said, adding that the agriculture department came to his “rescue”.
Rizwan is currently producing 2 to 2.2 quintals of mushrooms from 100 bags and is selling them for Rs 250 per kilogramme in the market.
“Mushroom cultivation gave me a means of surviving and living up to family’s expectations,” he said.
Before this, Rizwan had set up his own academy ‘MATH MINDS’ – an initiative to liberate people from the fear of Mathematics – for the students of 8th, 9th and 10th grade. He is a Math content creator which he keeps sharing on his YouTube channel “MathMinds”. He is also an instructor at ALOHA, J&K.
“In addition to generating content for learners, I spend two hours at my mushroom unit before teaching students at my academy. It all comes down to time management and making good use of your time. If you use your time wisely, everything is possible,” he said.
Rizwan is a B.Tech and Electronic Communications graduate. He also has a Master’s degree in Sociology and is pursuing a postgraduate degree in psychology. He is an inspiration to many young people who are having trouble finding work.
An official from the Agriculture Department said that Rizwan is “inspiring” the next generation through this enterprise, and he is also serving as an example of how overcoming obstacles can lead to success.
Even Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Syed Sehrish Asgar hailed him in a tweet saying, “This is a real story of a boy who could not make it in competitive exams but did not lose hope. Today he is providing employment to others and is a real role model!!! Kudos.”
According to Rizwan, the agriculture department employees in Baramulla gave him every kind of support he needed during the mushroom cultivation – from cultivation to regulating temperature and humidity to selling the produce.
“I consider myself fortunate enough to make a sizable profit in the beginning. I now aspire to start cultivation on a much bigger scale. But I can never forget the support of the agriculture department,” he said.
In the future, Rizwan intends to create a mushroom farm through which he would not only cover the entirety of north Kashmir but also place young people in jobs.
He claims that starting a mushroom farm costs only a small amount of money and that one won’t be able to start making money until after a few months. “It needs little investment, a 10×10 room, a spray bottle worth Rs 500, temperature checking device and two hours from your busy schedule to turn you into an entrepreneur,” he explained.
Rizwan advises the youth to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours, particularly mushroom farming, rather than “wasting time” applying for government jobs. “This is the best way to start the next stage of life, the one when we can contribute to society,” he said. “Those who are interested in mushroom cultivation should visit the agriculture department for assistance and seek advice and guidance from the staff members there.”
