From straw to startup dream

Ms. Ngoc Yen is always concerned about increasing the value of straw mushrooms, from raw agricultural products to value-added products. Photo: PHUONG LAN

Previously, Ms. Ngoc Yen had successfully solved the problem of straw mushrooms losing value due to market flooding. Specifically, Ms. Ngoc Yen's project "Straw mushroom crackers" won first prize in the 7th Provincial Creative Startup Ideas Competition in 2023. Continuing her dream of getting rich on her homeland and increasing the commercial value of straw mushrooms, she continued to research, experiment and succeed with the new project "Increasing the value of straw mushrooms - from raw agricultural products to value-added products", including products: Mushroom rolls, mushroom seasoning powder and mushroom floss.

The determination and desire of this 9X girl suddenly shone when the opportunity was handed to her. I still remember, the first time I met her, with eyes sparkling with faith and ambition, Ms. Ngoc Yen affirmed: “My biggest dream is to increase the commercial value of straw mushrooms. Today it is straw mushroom rice paper, later it will be a new, more attractive product, more welcomed by many people from this simple mushroom of the countryside. I believe I can do it.”

With the achievement of winning two high awards in the Provincial Creative Startup Ideas Competition, Ms. Ngoc Yen is the most sustainable commitment that she brings to consumers who always trust and wait for new products from her. Straw mushrooms are a familiar agricultural product, but in fact, this product is mainly sold fresh. This makes mushrooms very perishable, facing many difficulties in transportation and preservation. In addition, the market currently does not have many products processed from straw mushrooms. Ms. Ngoc Yen realizes that this is a great opportunity, because the trend of searching for convenient, clean and nutritious food is increasing.

“My solution is to turn straw mushrooms into processed products with high added value, convenience and nutrition. Through research, I found that the price of straw mushrooms in Vietnam from 2023 to now is on the rise, further strengthening my belief in the significant economic potential of this project,” Ms. Ngoc Yen shared. To effectively turn the idea into reality, she focused on applying automatic and semi-automatic technology to the production and processing process, helping to standardize quality and improve productivity.

In addition, Ms. Ngoc Yen’s Tai Phat Production and Trade Company Limited has built a model of close cooperation with local farmers. The company purchases straw after the rice and sticky rice crop to use as raw materials for growing mushrooms and buys fresh mushrooms from associated farmers for processing. “In return, we provide spawn and technical support for production to the people. This method not only ensures a stable source of input materials but also creates additional income for the people,” Ngoc Yen expressed.

Ms. Ngoc Yen's business model is operated based on the principle of circular agriculture with a closed, controlled value chain. The input is straw by-products after the rice and sticky rice harvest, which are fully utilized. Fresh straw mushrooms from Ms. Ngoc Yen's company's farm and associated households are brought to the processing factory, creating value-added products such as mushroom crackers, mushroom patties, mushroom seasoning powder and mushroom floss.

According to Ms. Ngoc Yen, the straw mushroom rice paper product is widely distributed through various channels, from direct sales to consumers, through social networking sites, vegetarian restaurants to clean food stores. What is special is that the substrate after growing mushrooms will be reused to grow other crops, creating a closed process, optimizing resources and not discharging waste that pollutes the environment.

Ms. Ngoc Yen confidently said: “This business model brings very impressive economic figures, with a total investment capital of 4.3 billion VND in 5 years, we expect to achieve revenue of 864 million VND in the first year and grow to 10.8 billion VND in the 5th year, with a profit margin after tax of nearly 29%. Not stopping at economic efficiency, the project also brings positive social and environmental impacts. We create stable jobs for local people, people with disabilities, and people who have completed their sentences, helping them reintegrate into the community”.

Starting in 2020 with the cultivation of straw mushrooms, up to now, Ngoc Yen's straw mushroom cracker product has been honored with the certification of "Typical rural industrial product at the provincial level in 2024". In 2025, Ms. Ngoc Yen will complete the standards, build a brand of clean, vegetarian, and indigenous food and launch new products. "The bigger goal is that from 2026 - 2030, I will try to bring the "Vietnamese straw mushroom" brand to the international level", Ms. Ngoc Yen expressed her determination.

PHUONG LAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tu-rom-ra-den-giac-mo-khoi-nghiep-a465514.html