Punalur native Thajunnisa's mushroom venture blossoms into thriving business

Kollam: For A S Thajunnisa, a Punalur native, success didn’t just happen — it sprouted from mushrooms.
What began as a simple venture turned into a thriving business, thanks to the confidence cultivated through mushroom farming. Thajunnisa’s success isn’t just in the products she creates—it’s in her unwavering mindset, which constantly drives her forward.

Thajunnisa ventured into mushroom cultivation to become self-reliant and rebuild her life. Over time, she expanded her business by developing value-added mushroom products and launching them alongside fresh mushrooms.

Nutrinis Health Mix stands out as a signature product among her many offerings. This nutritious food supplement blends mushrooms, sweet potatoes, raw bananas, and millet.

Certified for nutritional quality by the Post-Harvest Management Department Laboratory of Kerala Agricultural University, Nutrinis Health Mix is packed with essential nutrients. It contains protein, amino acids, antioxidants from mushrooms, minerals and fiber from ragi, and beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, B6, and potassium from sweet potatoes, along with the nutritional benefits of raw bananas.

The powder can be mixed with milk for a wholesome drink, blended into a milkshake with fruits, or stirred into hot water for a thick mix.

Thajunnisa’s innovation doesn’t stop with Nutrinis Health Mix. She has also introduced mushroom-based cookies, cutlets, and pickles, using the same core ingredients to create healthy and flavorful alternatives.

From Tradition to innovation
Hailing from Vilakkupara, a village near Anchal in Kollam, Thajunnisa grew up in a farming household. Her father, Sulaiman Rawther, was a farmer. In 2019, she carried forward the family legacy with a modern twist.

With guidance from Sudarshan, the then agricultural officer of Punalur, she started small, cultivating mushrooms on just 50 beds. Determined to master the craft, she trained under Dr M Lekha, an Assistant Professor at Sadanandapuram Krishi Vigyan Kendra, specialising in mushroom farming and seed production. She later expanded her setup to 500 mushroom beds and began packaging her produce, selling it to friends, relatives, and through local vegetable shops.

The initial days were challenging. Mushrooms have a short shelf life, and everything had to be sold on the same day. This led her to explore ways to enhance her product’s durability and value.

Her breakthrough came when she attended a tuber crop research program at the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekaryam. There, she learned about sweet potatoes' nutritional benefits and cultivation techniques. Around the same time, she also attended a value-addition training session led by A H Shamsiya, an assistant professor at KVK and a nutritional food expert.

With technical assistance from KVK, Thajunnisa developed her own formula for value-added products, selecting ingredients and their proportions. Today, she has a fully equipped setup, including a slicer for mushrooms and other ingredients, a drying machine, a cooling tray for mixing, a packaging and sealing machine, and a weighing machine.

What started as a small-scale venture has now grown into a thriving business. Initially selling just five kilograms of her health mix monthly, Thajunnisa now moves an impressive 56 kilograms in a month.

Nowadays, Thajunnisa carries her products wherever she goes. Over time, she has built a loyal customer base, including teachers at her children’s schools, employees at the banks where she holds accounts, officers from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), and officials from the industries department. She actively participates in farm and industry expos, further expanding her reach.

At her mushroom canopy on the terrace, she now cultivates 2,000 mushroom beds. But her ambition doesn’t stop there. She has roped in four of her friends to cultivate mushrooms and sweet potatoes, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials while also supporting fellow farmers.

Looking ahead, Thajunnisa envisions transforming her venture into a full-fledged enterprise that provides employment opportunities to many and takes her nutritious products to every corner of Kerala.

She is married to Muneer, and the couple has two children, Muhsina and Muhsin.