DA Trains 200 ‘Yolanda’ Survivors on Mushroom Culture

Iloilo City(PNA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 6 has intensified the conduct of training on community-based mushroom production among 200 typhoon Yolanda survivors in Western Visayas.

Community-based mushroom production is one of the immediate assistance of the DA to provide income generating project to rice farming communities affected by the typhoon.

Dir. Larry P. Nacionales of DA 6 said that the project will also be the source of nutritious food to households knowing that mushroom is a very good source of Vitamin D, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium and good source of dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin C, folate, iron, zinc and manganese.

Nacionales added that this food is low in saturated fat and sodium, and very low in cholesterol.

“This project addresses the problem on burning of rice straws in the fields because this is the primary raw material needed for making mushroom fruiting bags,” Nacionales explained.

The potential of mushroom culture in typhoon affected areas is viable and doable because of the availability of raw materials, small area requirement and less capital needed for investment.

Elmer Cabusas, focal person on mushroom production, said that production cost for one fruiting bag weighing 70kg is P12. This can produce 300g to 900g of mushroom which can be sold at P160.00/kilo.

Cabusas added that the farmer organization can also directly sell their fruiting bags at P25.00/bag which will immediately provide them with P13 profit per bag.

He stressed that the Morales Farmers Association of Balete, Aklan is now selling their fruiting bags to the neighboring local government units and private individuals. They even hired full-time farmer to take care of the mass production of mushroom fruiting bags just to cater to demand.

Other farmers organization trained on mushroom production were Camp Eupre Farmers Association of Barbaza, Antique; BALMAT Irrigators Association of Sigma, Capiz; Brgy. Masgarua, Jamindan, Capiz; Agusipan Farmers Association of Badiangan, Iloilo and Bayuyan Farmers Association of Estancia, Iloilo. (PNA) LAM/AJP/RAFID6-PR/VLO