Bhaktapur, July 23, 2025
Once laughed at for dreaming of becoming a farmer, Akash Bade has emerged as a shining example of innovation, resilience, and agripreneurship in Nepal’s agricultural landscape. His transformation from a ridiculed student to a millionaire mushroom cultivator underscores the untapped potential of smart farming backed by technology and training.
As a schoolboy in Bhaktapur’s Thimi municipality, Akash once stood up in class and confidently told his teacher, “I want to become a farmer.” His classmates burst into laughter. Today, the same Akash operates one of Nepal’s most advanced mushroom farms — producing oyster, shiitake, red, and even medicinal cordyceps mushrooms with cutting-edge methods.
Akash began his journey with a Rs 500,000 loan but faced early failure due to lack of technical knowledge. Struggling under a Rs 900,000 debt, he endured public scorn and family doubt. But rather than giving up, he took it as a lesson. “One shouldn’t learn only by drowning, but by observing how others fail,” he reflects.
After pursuing specialized training and deeper research into mushroom farming, he restarted his business — this time with precision and innovation. His farm now produces over 20,000 clusters of mushrooms using sterilized straw via modern boilers and a high-efficiency electric dryer worth Rs 452,000. With consistent quality and improved processing, his products are slowly gaining both national and international interest.
But Akash’s ambition doesn’t stop at farming. He is actively working to develop by-products from Nepal-grown mushrooms to replace imported mushroom-based foods in domestic markets and to create export opportunities. “We are consuming foreign mushroom soup while our local produce remains undervalued,” he said. “My goal is to reverse this trend.”
He also voices concern about a rising trend: many youth entering agriculture impulsively after watching YouTube videos, without proper knowledge. His message to aspiring farmers is clear — gain practical experience, take formal training, and learn from those who have succeeded before making large investments.
Akash further advocates for a national policy shift: “Instead of sending youth abroad for remittances, why not empower them here to export Nepali produce globally?” He urges agricultural colleges to enhance their focus on hands-on training, research, and fieldwork.
Akash Bade's story challenges deep-rooted prejudices about farming being a low-status profession. He proves that with vision, courage, and the right tools, farming in Nepal can not only be sustainable but also profitable and globally competitive.
