While 1,500 Nepalis leave the country each day in search of better opportunities and brighter futures, Bikram Pun returned home with the determination to succeed.

Pun rented a piece of land in Golfutar, Kathmandu and decided to start commercial mushroom farming. He has been producing 400 kgs of mushrooms monthly which he supplies to hotels in the capital.

Pun works 14 hours a day and says he enjoys working in the motherland. With rising demand for mushroom and seeds, the young farmer plans to expand his business and wants to triple the production in coming years.

But Pun has faced many challenges, with load shedding being the biggest problem. "It is important to maintain consistent temperature to get the desired quality of mushrooms. I have to wake up in the middle of the night to check the temperatures when there is no electricity," he says. He has also incurred losses of over a million rupees in six months due to the power cuts, but has not lost hope yet.

Published on: 3 Feb-9 Feb 2012 | Nepali Times