A Coodu Trust initiative running since 2003 — delivered under the IWDP and DPAP watershed programmes and the Mahalir Thittam women's development programme in its early phases, training rural women and entrepreneurs in Karur, Trichy and across five districts of Tamil Nadu.
The project
Empowering rural women, marginal farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills to establish profitable mushroom production enterprises — leveraging agricultural waste into a high-protein, high-demand food product that requires low investment and minimal land, can be grown indoors, and enjoys year-round demand from consumers.
Coodu Trust has run mushroom cultivation training repeatedly since 2003, in distinct phases. It began in 2003–04 with women’s groups in Dindigul, Trichy and Karur districts; in 2004–05, under the IWDP and DPAP watershed programmes in Karur and Trichy, 242 women were trained with a view to providing employment opportunities. Training continued at the Mylampatty centre in 2007–08 and for 50 SHG farm women in Karur in 2008–09. The 2013–14 phase scaled up sharply: 1,267 potential entrepreneurs from 5 districts of Tamil Nadu received skill-enhanced training in oyster mushroom and spawn production.
The work has long been woven into SHG enterprise development under the Mahalir Thittam women's development programme — SHGs established Mushroom Production Centres as group-based enterprises alongside community herbal nurseries and vermi-composting centres, with 43 women SHG members trained in 2009–10. In Phase 4 (2023–24) in Karur district, a two-day entrepreneurship training for 60 women led 8 women's groups comprising 41 women to begin cultivation, generating an income of ₹300/day for each participant.
Mushroom is described as the cheapest source of protein energy, grown on composted agricultural waste as substrate — and successful mushroom entrepreneurs themselves served as resource persons during the training.
Why this work matters
Rural women and marginal or landless farmers rarely have the land or capital that conventional crop farming demands — leaving households without a dependable income between seasons.
Oyster mushroom cultivation uses agricultural waste as substrate, needs minimal land and can even be done indoors. After the 2023–24 training of 60 women, 8 groups comprising 41 women began cultivating — earning ₹300/day per participant.
Theory-only training seldom turns into a running enterprise — trainees need working demonstrations, marketing know-how and mentors who have built the business themselves.
Practical and theoretical classes combined, with successful mushroom entrepreneurs as resource persons, hands-on demonstrations of all cultivation stages, plus business planning and marketing — 1,267 potential entrepreneurs trained across 5 districts in 2013–14 alone.
At a glance
Outcomes
After a two-day training of 60 women in 2023–24, 8 women's groups comprising 41 women began mushroom cultivation — generating an income of ₹300/day for each participant, a new skill and a reliable source of income for rural women.
Mushroom production emerged as a major viable economic activity for trained SHGs, which established Mushroom Production Centres integrated with Mahalir Thittam — 43 women SHG members trained in 2009–10.
One of Coodu Trust's most enduring entrepreneurship development programmes — a proven low-cost, high-return farming model using minimal land, agricultural waste as substrate and year-round consumer demand, with 1,267 entrepreneurs trained across 5 districts in 2013–14.
Get involved
For over 20 years, mushroom cultivation training has turned agricultural waste into steady incomes for rural women across Tamil Nadu. Support the next group of entrepreneurs.
