Name :Mr. Bikarna Barman
Address :Village- Baddungi, P.O.-Teor, P.S.- Hilli, Dist.- Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal
Mr. Bikarna Barman, a rural youth and marginal farmer, used to work very hard along with his parents for agricultural production for their livelihood. He was passing through the economic stress while unemployed and searching for an alternative and profitable enterprise. However, the situation started changing when he came in contact with Dakshin Dinajpur KVK during the year 2010-11. Mr. Barman enrolled his name for one week training on Mushroom cultivation. After getting the training, he gained confidence and started mushroom cultivation under the guidance of KVK scientists by taking spawn from KVK. By adopting scientific technologies he tried to increase mushroom production. Side by side, he started processing and sale out of the value added products of mushroom in the form of pickle, biscuit, sauce, pakora etc. Apart from producing and processing of mushroom, he is now supplying spawn and buying mushroom from the surrounding producers. Recently, he started dry mushroom production. He is also acting as rural youth entrepreneur and master trainer to create much awareness among other. He has registered his product under small scale industry of West Bengal Govt. vide Registration No. FSS-ACT-2006/22813005001845. Considering his prospect DIC (District Industrial Center) has sanctioned a loan of Rs. 5 lakh to setup a mushroom production and processing unit for up-scaling his enterprise. He has also branded his product in the name of ‘Hilli Delhi’ as one of the first ever registered farm producer in this region of West Bengal. Mr. Barman started small scale production business and created his own market. Presently, he is supplying 100- 150 kg fresh mushroom every week and 5 quintal dry mushroom every year to the local market including other districts e.g. Malda, Uttar Dinajpur and Darjeeling and other states e.g. Assam, Bhutan. His earning has reached the mark of Rs. 2 to 3 lakh in a season through production and selling of his raw mushroom and its various products throughout the district as well as outside the district. Mr. Barman is a member of Farmers’ Club, NABARD, Member of “Naopara Teor Samaj Kalyan Samity” (NGO, Dakshin Dinajpur). He has been awarded with “Prosongshoniyo kajer Jonyo Sikrti Award’’ by NABARD in the year 2014, “Kriti Krishak Award” by Dakshin Dinajpur KVK in the year 2014 and “Agrani Krishok Samman” from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Coochbehar, West Bengal.
After seeing the success of Mr.Bikarna Barman, five farmers in the locality have already started mushroom production and eight rural youth have taken training on mushroom production from Dakshin Dinajpur KVK. They will start mushroom production very shortly.