Earning hundreds of millions of dong from growing straw mushrooms

STO - Currently in Phuoc Truong A hamlet, My Phuoc commune, My Tu district ( Soc Trang ), there are many households attached to the profession of growing straw mushrooms, bringing a prosperous and comfortable life, forming a "straw mushroom growing village" for decades.

Mr. Le Van Day, Phuoc Truong A hamlet, My Phuoc commune confided: “I have been growing straw mushrooms for over 20 years. In 2003, my family's straw mushroom growing was mainly seasonal. Because there was no straw all year round, and the amount of straw was also small, the mushroom yield after harvest was not much. Since the combine harvester was available, the source of straw after rice harvest has been abundant. With 6.5 hectares of rice cultivation land, the amount of straw harvested is 800 rolls/crop (2 rice crops per year, 1,600 rolls of straw). In addition to the amount of straw from the family's rice harvest, I buy more straw from traders to deliver to my house to grow mushrooms. Each mushroom growing season requires 2,000 rolls of straw. With thousands of rolls of straw used/year, the yield of straw mushrooms is more than 10 tons/year, the selling price of mushrooms ranges from 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg, excluding expenses, I pocket more than 200 million. VND/year".

Mr. Le Van Day, Phuoc Truong A hamlet, My Phuoc commune, My Tu district (Soc Trang) is watering straw mushrooms grown right in front of his house. Photo: THUY LIEU

“The favorable season for straw mushrooms is from June to October of the lunar calendar, but the selling price is not as good as the off-season mushroom crop from November to April of the following lunar calendar. The time to grow straw mushrooms is short, from the time of incubating the straw to harvesting the mushrooms is 15 days and the mushrooms are harvested every day, lasting for 10 - 15 days to end the mushroom growing season (25 - 30 days). Mushrooms grown in the favorable season do not need to be watered; while those grown in the off-season need to be watered once a day. To achieve mushroom productivity, it is necessary to choose spawn with a clear origin, and the straw rolls must be safe and not contaminated with pesticides,” Mr. Le Van Day added.

Having grown straw mushrooms for many years, Mr. Le Minh Hung, Phuoc Truong A hamlet, My Phuoc commune (My Tu) shared the reason why he is attached to this job: “Taking advantage of the straw after harvesting 10 hectares of rice from my family, with 2 rice crops/year, I have grown straw mushrooms for nearly 20 years. Usually, at the end of the Winter-Spring and Summer-Autumn rice crops, I use up all the straw to grow mushrooms, 1,000 rolls per crop. By growing 2 crops of straw mushrooms/year, I make a profit of 100 million VND”.

“Straw mushroom growing brings double benefits, firstly, it creates income for farmers, secondly, it makes use of agricultural by-products. In addition, after harvesting mushrooms, the rotten straw will be used as fertilizer for crops and ornamental flowers. Besides, growing straw mushrooms also creates jobs, limits the burning of straw, causing environmental pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In the future, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center will increase the opening of training courses to transfer science and technology on the process of growing straw mushrooms in the province, so that farmers can learn and develop mushroom growing models at home, in order to increase their family income,” said Mr. Vo Van Be - Director of the Soc Trang Agricultural Extension Center.

THUY LIEU

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