Five reasons why you should give mushroom farming a go

By BENJAMIN SARONDO

Angeline Sarmineto-Fraginal, 32, from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, started SF Mushroom Farm in February 2019 at her parent’s farm located in Norzagaray, Bulacan. She said that currently, sales are high, customers are satisfied, production is continuous, and the business is thriving.

READ: Embrace the digital space: Mushroom farm in Bulacan uses the internet to market products

Angeline shared five reasons why you should give mushroom farming a go:

Low capital requirement

Mushroom farming does not require a high amount of capital because some of the materials can be found at home and recycled. In building a mushroom grow house, a farmer may use used wood and roofing material and build it on their own. For the substrate mixture, a farmer can use manure, rice and wheat straw, leaves, and waste paper.

Versatile

Mushrooms are a great substitute for meat, and mushrooms can serve as ingredients in many dishes. Mushrooms can be added to fried eggs, used as sandwich filling, pizza topping, or as a meal itself.

High nutritional value

In mushroom farming, farmers do not just simply produce food for consumption; they also deliver nutritious and healthy food. Mushrooms contain different vitamins like selenium, which helps prevent cell damage; vitamin D, which helps cell growth; vitamin B6, which helps form red blood cells; and more.

Create jobs and opportunities

Mushroom farming is a labor intensive task that may require hiring people to complete all the tasks, such as purchasing, composting, bagging, steaming, inoculating, growing, and many more. A mushroom grower may fulfill all these tasks if full-time; and if not, a farmer can open up jobs and opportunities for people.

Sustainable

Mushroom farming can make use of agricultural products, lessen agricultural waste, and help decrease the carbon footprint. Substrate, which is a necessity for mushroom farming, can be made from recycled and agricultural products like rice bran molasses, agricultural lime, and many more.

Photo by Angeline Sarmiento-Fraginal

Read more about farming and gardening at agriculture.com.ph