An evening with Annu Kanwar Kanawat
Introduction
On March 29, we had a fascinating session by Mrs Annu Kanwar Kanawat a dynamic agri-entrepreneur, who hails from the conservative yet illustrious Sisodia Rajput family in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.
During the session, Mrs. Kanawat provided insights from her own journey from childhood to student to academia to entrepreneurship. Mrs. Kanawat discussed the pivotal role of women in driving innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth in agriculture. She delved into the importance of mentorship, networking, and resilience in overcoming obstacles for women entrepreneurs.
About Mrs Annu Kanwar Kanawat
Despite facing initial resistance due to societal norms, Mrs Annu Kanwar Kanawat had an unwavering determination to succeed. Following her outstanding performance in the Rajasthan Joint Entrance Test (JET) for agriculture, she pursued a BSc from Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology in Udaipur. She then pursued an MBA in agribusiness management at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) near Palanpur in Gujarat. An internship at Bayer Crop Science in Gujarat was a turning point in her life. The internship ignited her passion for empowering farmers and exploring avenues for sustainable income generation in ag
When Mrs Kanawat was working as an assistant professor of Agribusiness at a university in Jaipur, Rajasthan, she accompanied her students to Dehradun for a training programme. This was another turning point in her life. They visited a mushroom training centre where they learned about its cultivation and processing. The visit familiarized Mrs Kanawat with a potential business opportunity, she had been dreaming of for years.
Despite facing challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs Kanawat persevered and transformed her trial cultivation of oyster mushrooms into a thriving enterprise. Leveraging her expertise and insights, she founded Aamlda Organic Foods and Research Centre, named after her village, Aamlda. The company's flagship product, Shroom Lady, has attracted attention for its innovative use of mushrooms, targeting women's health.
Under Mrs. Kanawat's leadership, Aamlda Organic Foods has expanded its product portfolio to encompass 20 innovative offerings, catering to diverse demographics and health needs. She aims to grow Cordyceps mushrooms, with much lower production costs and making this traditional Chinese medicine accessible at a much lower cost of approximately Rs1.5 lakh per kg.
Mrs Kanawat is strongly committed to empowering women and farmers. She offers free training in mushroom cultivation to underserved communities. She has also established mushroom labs at universities. Mrs. Kanawat has empowered over 1,000 individuals through free training sessions in mushroom cultivation and conducting certified programs for around 3,000 students. She has been procuring mushrooms from 30 farmers across Rajasthan, furthering economic opportunities and fostering collaboration in the agricultural sector.
Mrs Kanawat’s contributions have earned her prestigious accolades such as the Master Trainer Certification from KVK Takarda, Chomu. Notably, she was honoured with the 1000 Women of Asia Award at the Womenovator Global Summit 2021.
Mrs Kanawat’s philosophy is that we should learn as much as possible. We must look at life as an adventure. From her childhood days, Mrs Kanawat has continued to pick up new skills. She has learnt how to milk cows and buffalos. She has also learnt horse riding and shooting.
On her journey
Mrs Kanawat recalled that when she was a child, even buses were not available in her village to move around. A bus would appear once in 2-3 days. Being a hilly area, there was no connectivity. So the villagers would have to travel 15-20 km to receive a message. When she was in college in Udaipur, she won medals as an athletic champion. But she had no way to communicate with her parents.
Mrs Kanawat mentioned that it is a common practice in Rajput families to get girls married at the age of 17-18. There was a time when Rajput women would even go to fight wars. But over time, wrong practices have been adapted. These have put women at a tremendous disadvantage.
Coming from a Rajput family, agriculture was taboo. But Mrs Kanawat was deeply interested in agriculture from a young age. She realized that wrong crops were being grown in Rajasthan, a state with perennial water shortage. She told her father she wanted to study agriculture. With great difficulty she managed to convince her family members.
As already mentioned, Mrs Kanawat got admission to the Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology in Udaipur, along with a full scholarship. This was a new experience as her parents had not even visited a college before. She took the help of her uncle to compete the admission formalities. In college, Mrs Kanawat excelled in sports emerging as a champion in Shotput, Discus and 1500 metres.
Mrs Kanawat’s next stop was the Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) near Palanpur in Gujarat. She was one of 5 students from Rajasthan to qualify for admission. After arriving at the college, they were told that students from outside Gujarat would not be admitted. Promptly, these students went on a strike for 15 days protesting that they could not go back at this stage. The Vice Chancellor finally permitted them to join the college. Even though the placement outlook was limited, Mrs Kanawat managed to get an internship opportunity with Bayer. She was with Bayer for six months.
Mrs Kanawat noticed that in Gujarat, the youth were not interested in jobs. They wanted to become entrepreneurs. The environment was conducive to do business. Contract farming had changed the lifestyle of farmers in Gujarat. Why not in Rajasthan?
Around this time, her parents wanted Mrs Kanawat to get her married. She had to come back to Rajasthan for the engagement. She traced her husband through Facebook and shared her plans with him. His response was very positive. He suggested that she could keep her business plans a secret till marriage. He promised to support her after the marriage (in 2017). Indeed, he kept his promise.
About Mushrooms
After the Dehradun trip in 2018, Annu decided to grow button mushrooms due to their large market potential and limited availability in Rajasthan. She began to research more about their cultivation. She found that mushrooms are easy to cultivate and require less water. To produce 1 kilo of rice, 200 litres of water were needed. But to produce one kilo of mushroom, only 2 liters were needed.
Mushrooms can be grown without chemicals. Even 10–12-year children can grow mushrooms. It is in fact possible to grow cordyceps and oyster mushrooms with an investment of just Rs 500 in our own homes.
Note: Mushrooms have been eaten and used as medicine for thousands of years. Mushrooms are low in calories and fat and contain modest amounts of fiber and various nutrients. The fibre in them keeps the stomach clean and prevents constipation. Mushrooms are 90% digestible. Mushrooms have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Animal and cell studies show that mushrooms can stimulate the activity of immune cells, macrophages, and free radicals that can stop the growth and spread of tumour cells and cause existing tumour cells to die. Mushrooms reduce hypertension and improve sleep.
Mushrooms can create savory rich flavors called umami, thanks to the presence of an amino acid called glutamate, which is also found in meats, fish, cheeses, and simmering soups. Mushrooms have good nutrition value and build immunity. They are rich in Vitamin D.
Note: Oyster mushrooms are very tasty. They are rich in fibre, minerals, vitamins B and D, and other nutrients. High in antioxidants, they regulate blood sugar levels, improve heart health, and boost immunity. Oyster protein protects kidney/liver without any side effects. These mushrooms provide stamina and keep us energetic through the day.
Note: Cordyceps mushrooms have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. They offer a number of health benefits, including boosting energy levels, improving athletic performance, and reducing inflammation.
Note: All mushrooms are not the same. Some mushrooms are consumed with hot water and some with cold. Some are consumed in empty stomach and others after a meal.
Contrary to common perceptions, mushrooms are purely vegetarian. Indeed, they must be looked at as vegetables. No living organisms are used in their cultivation. They are a kind of fungus but good quality and edible.
Mrs Kannawat believes that just like millets there should be a focus on mushrooms.
Initial challenges
To implement her plans, Mrs Kanawat needed to invest Rs 1 crore. She was however not dissuaded.
Some rooms were vacant at her maternal home in Amalda village, Bhilwara. She started her trial on a small scale there. She ordered spawns (seeds) of button mushroom online, and the produce was good. Mrs Kanawat again procured the mushroom spawns online from Dehradun and made compost, the base for the growth of mushrooms, using locally available wheat straw. She prepared 1,000 bags of oyster mushrooms. But before she could harvest them, the COVID-19 lockdown hit. She was left with an unsold bumper crop.
Since the markets were shut, Mrs Kanawat had to think creatively about how to offload the produce. She was aware of the nutritional benefits of oyster mushrooms. So she dried them, converted them into powder and began giving it for free to women from her village. Women suffering from aches or other health disorders reported a rapid improvement in their condition due to the mushroom powder supplement. They came back for more.
Mrs Kanawat borrowed money but could not service the debt. She took part in a startup event and made an online presentation. Her MBA training helped here. She got a Rs 15 lakh grant under the Ministry of Agriculture’s RKVY-RAFTAAR Scheme. With that she was able to buy machinery. She focused on bringing down the price of Cordyceps from Rs 300,000 per kg to Rs 150,000 per kg. She began to put the mushroom in small packs and offered them to diabetes and cancer patients. Mrs Kanawat plans to use some of the funds to expand her online presence.
Mushroom Cultivation at home
Wheat straw is boiled and cooled and mushroom seeds are mixed into it. This mixture can be filled into 10 plastic bags. For every 10 kilos of wheat straw, one kilo of oyster mushroom seeds can be used. A dark room is needed. After 15 days, it turns white and after 30-35 days, it is ready for production.
After 45 days, the production will be around 30 kg of oyster mushrooms. At a wholesale market rate of around Rs 350 per kg, the income will be over Rs10,000 with an investment of under Rs 500.
The road ahead
Mrs Kanawat wants to see mushrooms being grown in every house/locality. To expand her market and revenues, Mrs Kanawat will launch affordable products using Cordyceps mushrooms, which have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine.
But for Mrs Kanawat, increasing revenues is not the primary goal. She wants to empower as many women as possible. She also wants to bring down the cost of healthy foods to make them affordable to the common people.
Mrs Kanawat is doing clinical trials to establish the clinical properties of mushrooms. Once the trials are successfully completed, she will be able to take on the drug companies with even more confidence. She is also thinking of appointing franchisees. Mrs Kanawat is also open to selling her shares to prospective investors.
Aamlda Organics charges a fee of Rs 1500 per person for students’ training. The training is free for farmers, women, and students from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
Mrs Kanawat encourages people to take up mushroom entrepreneurship as it is a low-investment business, and the market demand is good.
Q&A
Today’s youth do not want to get into farming. They want to study and pick up corporate jobs. This is unfortunate. Farmers are the most important people in society. Without farmers the society or economy cannot exist. To bring technology into farming, education is certainly needed. But after education, the youth should come back to farming. Indeed, they should be proud of being the children of farmers. In Israel, every child does farming. Our youth should also take interest in farming. The coming years will belong to agriculture.
Mrs Kanawat provides training and supports people in mushroom cultivation. When there are more than 15 women, Mrs Kannawat’s team visits and trains the people. The one or two serious people from each batch are provided more intensive training. She and her team are accessible to entrepreneurs on video calls and WhatsApp.
These training programs make it clear that marketing is the key to a successful enterprise. While Mrs Kanawat does buy back production and sells it in the market, she feels that no one should be too dependent on others to sell our production. She recalled her covid experience when she found it difficult to sell her mushrooms. She had to process them and then start offering to customers. There are many fraudulent companies which promise the moon and then leave the farmers high and dry with heavy losses.
The village is too small a marketplace. This where the mandis have a big role to play. Currently, the mandis are situated far away from the villages. The whole supply chain has to be streamlined.
The main challenges are:
Preservation: A cold chain is needed.
Marketing and mandis: Mandis are too far away from the farmers. Most farmers struggle with marketing.
Financing: Banks offer loans only when there is security. women in general do not have any security to offer. Women are currently depending too much on the support of family members. They must be able to stand on their own feet. A certain proportion of the bank loans should be reserved for women.
We should believe in our dreams. If we believe in something, it will come true. God will tell us in what direction to go. If we work with clarity and purity, we will succeed and overcome all the challenges.
A great session by Mrs Annu Kanwar Kanawat. Great moderation by Dr R Prasad and Prof Sudhakar Rao.