Successful cultivation of red reishi medicinal mushrooms

Red reishi mushroom is not yet a widely cultivated medicinal mushroom in Quang Tri province, but some pilot projects on a large scale have shown high economic value and efficiency. A typical example is the red reishi mushroom cultivation facility of Mr. Tran Van Linh's household in Huynh Thuong village, Vinh Son commune, Vinh Linh district.

Successfully cultivating red reishi medicinal mushrooms.

Mr. Tran Van Linh is packaging red reishi mushrooms - Photo: NT

After more than three years of learning about the techniques and experience of cultivating red reishi mushrooms from various sources, and initially applying them on a small scale, in 2010, Mr. Tran Van Linh gradually expanded his mushroom cultivation facility to 9,000 square meters. From raw materials and imported strains to infrastructure and equipment for mushroom production and processing, Mr. Linh invested in ensuring quality.

Regarding the production process, the main raw material is sawdust purchased directly from the local area. After processing, it is bagged, sterilized, then inoculated with second-generation red reishi mushroom spawn and mycelium is cultivated. After nearly 4 months of care, fresh mushrooms are harvested. The fresh mushrooms are then dried and packaged to produce the final product.

Speaking about his experience in growing red reishi mushrooms, Mr. Linh said: "Growing this medicinal mushroom is more difficult than growing other common edible mushrooms like oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, chicken leg mushrooms, and button mushrooms... First of all, it requires a relatively large capital investment. For example, my family's facility has invested nearly 2 billion VND to build the mushroom nursery and cultivation area."

Furthermore, it's crucial to understand proper cultivation techniques, creating a well-ventilated and clean environment, and maintaining the most suitable temperature for stable mushroom growth. The time from planting to harvesting is 2-3 times longer than other types of mushrooms, but in return, the selling price of red reishi mushrooms is 20-30 times higher, sometimes even 40 times higher, than ordinary mushrooms. More importantly, the market for this product is stable due to the increasing demand from customers using red reishi mushrooms for health protection and enhancement.

To date, Linh's family imports approximately 200 tons of raw materials annually, producing 300 kg of dried red reishi mushrooms. The product has been evaluated by the Quang Tri Provincial Department of Science and Technology, which has assessed it as meeting weight and quality standards and has also provided partial sales support. In addition, Linh sells his mushrooms to distributors in many provinces and cities such as Hue, Da Nang, and Binh Duong .

With a retail price of 1 million VND/kg for dried reishi mushrooms, the model generates approximately 300 million VND in revenue annually, resulting in a net income of over 100 million VND after deducting expenses. Mr. Linh's mushroom production facility also provides regular employment for 5 workers. Based on the success of the model, Mr. Linh plans to expand and invest further in the processing and production area to increase both quantity and quality, better meeting the market's growing demand for red reishi mushrooms.

Ho Ngoc Quyet, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Son commune, added: "The red reishi mushroom of Mr. Tran Van Linh's household has been selected by the People's Committee of Vinh Son commune as a typical product in the local production chain."

In April 2024, he received financial support to obtain certification for production in accordance with the national standard for good agricultural practices in crop cultivation under VietGAP. Notably, red reishi mushrooms were also recognized as one of the 14 outstanding rural industrial products of Vinh Linh district in 2024.”

Nguyen Trang

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