Lalu Thomas at his farm in rural Thalavoor.
Entering a distinct segment market is not any simple job, particularly if you find yourself working from rural Thalavoor. But that did not stop Lalu Thomas from launching La Bae, maybe the primary mushroom coffee brand from Kerala developed with the assist of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
Though the product has been launched in export and on-line markets with none air-tight marketing strategy, its month-to-month turnover has crossed Rs 1 lakh in a few months. And now, the success of the small enterprise has prompted the Thalavoor panchayat to provide you with ‘Koon Gramam’, a challenge to increase mushroom cultivation within the space. The native physique has began coaching round 100 farmers to domesticate mushroom that will likely be procured for the manufacturing of La Bae.
“We have set aside funds for the project and most of our beneficiaries are women. Mushroom cultivation is easier compared with other crops and through this project we aim to attain self-sufficiency in production,” says V.S. Kaladevi, panchayat president.
Around 5 varieties, button, oyster, milky, lion’s mane and turkey tail, are used for manufacturing mushroom coffee together with natural arabica coffee bean from Wayanad.
“Since it’s an organic product rich in antioxidants, our customers are people who want to increase diet quality and stay healthy. While similar products available in the market use one or two mushrooms only, La Bae blends different varieties handpicked for their distinctive health benefits. While lion’s mane is a cognitive enhancer, sun-dried oyster mushroom contains a lot of vitamin D and turkey tail is good for bone health. It’s completely organic with zero fillers, preservatives, or artificial additives,” says Lalu Thomas.
Lalu Thomas in his farm in rural Thalavoor.
The produce from his farm just isn’t ample for the required quantity of coffee powder and sometimes the uncooked materials is sourced from different elements.
“Lion’s mane and turkey tail are not cultivated here as we need to maintain lower temperatures in the farm. But now we are trying to produce them locally and the farmers will be trained in various methods,” he provides.
La Bae is listed on Amazon and Mr. Thomas says it’s the most sought-after product within the class. “At first we were targeting the export market only and we are yet to explore the domestic market.”
The entrepreneur and the panchayat are additionally planning to introduce different value-added merchandise together with mushroom chocolate and mushroom cookies. “Our second product, mushroom coffee with milk, is in the last stages of R&D and it will be launched in the market soon,” he says.