Mushroom jackpot in Palakkad as rubber tappers harvest 40kg in a day
Two rubber tappers found nearly 40 kg of rare wild mushrooms, highly prized locally, in Palakkad during their daily shift.
Two rubber tappers found nearly 40 kg of rare wild mushrooms, highly prized locally, in Palakkad during their daily shift.
Two rubber tappers found nearly 40 kg of rare wild mushrooms, highly prized locally, in Palakkad during their daily shift.
In a delightful stroke of seasonal luck, two rubber tapping workers in Vaniamkulam, Palakkad, hit a massive mushroom jackpot, collecting nearly 40 kg of wild mushrooms in a single day. The duo, Hareendran from Panayur and Unnikrishnan from Vembalathu Padam, stumbled upon the bountiful patch while on their routine tapping shift, turning a regular work day into a lucrative harvesting mission.
The discovery happened at a rubber estate in Pathippara near Vaniamkulam. While starting his tapping work, Hareendran noticed a cluster of fresh, wild mushrooms sprouting in several areas of the plantation. Sensing there was more to find, he searched further and found a massive patch spreading into an adjacent vacant plot. Realising the scale of the bounty, he quickly enlisted the help of his fellow worker and friend, Unnikrishnan, to harvest them.
The mushrooms collected were packed into large sacks and distributed to eager local buyers who consider these wild varieties an absolute delicacy. Locally known as 'perukkali', these wild mushrooms naturally sprout during the Malayalam months of Chingam and Kanni, spanning August to October, following the monsoon rains. They are highly sought after for their distinct earthy flavour and organic quality.
Due to their rare and seasonal nature, wild mushrooms command premium prices even in rural neighbourhoods. Depending on the quality, buyers are more than willing to pay up to ₹1000 per kilogram. While smaller quantities are found occasionally, Hareendran remarked that gathering such a massive yield of 40 kg in a single day is unprecedented in his experience. Interestingly, residents of nearby Thrangali also reported a similar bumper harvest of wild mushrooms recently, highlighting a fruitful season for local foragers in the region.