Developing family economy through mushroom cultivation.

Ms. Bui Thi Gia Nhan is harvesting mushrooms.

Through her story, Ms. Nhan shared that in 2017, after graduating from the Biotechnology Department of Hanoi University of Agriculture , she worked for a time at a Vietnamese natural mushroom company in Hanoi. During her time there, she gained experience in mushroom cultivation and returned to her hometown to start her own business. After researching, she realized that while many types of mushrooms were available on the market, many production facilities did not ensure hygiene and safety, affecting consumer health. This experience led her to decide to return to her hometown and implement a safe mushroom cultivation model.

With ample land available, she allocated 1,000 square meters for the construction of a factory and borrowed money from relatives, friends, and banks to invest in a bagging machine, a mulch sorting machine, a cotton milling machine, a boiler system, and a steam chamber, totaling over 400 million VND, to produce oyster mushrooms. Ms. Nhân added that, unlike many traditional crops, mushrooms have the advantage of not requiring large land areas and can utilize old warehouses and barns for production. The raw materials for mushroom cultivation are also readily available, mainly from agricultural by-products such as straw, sawdust, and corn cobs, which reduces input costs and contributes to environmental protection. The growth period is short, only 30 to 50 days before the mushrooms can be harvested. To achieve high efficiency, the technical aspects of raw material processing, ensuring appropriate humidity, temperature, and light for each stage of mushroom development, are crucial. At the same time, selecting high-quality seeds with clear origins is also a decisive factor in determining yield and product quality.

To ensure a stable product output and to work towards building OCOP (One Commune One Product) products, Ms. Nhan established the Moc Long Organic Mushroom Cooperative, with 22 members who are women's association members in the village. To date, the cooperative produces and sells an average of 1 ton of oyster mushrooms per month. The cooperative's mushrooms are purchased by traders from wholesale markets in Hanoi at a price of 40,000 VND/kg. The productivity and efficiency of mushroom cultivation have helped the Moc Long Mushroom Cooperative earn over 400 million VND per year.

Sharing her vision for the future development of mushroom cultivation, Ms. Bui Thi Gia Nhan stated that in 2026, the cooperative she manages will expand its model, producing several types of medicinal mushrooms with higher economic value, such as reishi mushrooms and cloud mushrooms, while also seeking additional markets for its products.

Text and photos: Khanh Linh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-trien-kinh-te-gia-dinh-tu-trong-nam-287903.htm