The largest mushroom farm in the Central Highlands does not waste anything

DAK LAK The first 4-star OCOP mushroom farm in Dak Lak is grown organically. After being harvested, the mushroom spawn is composted as fertilizer for plants according to a circular model.

The farm of Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company (Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak) has an area of ​​5 hectares, of which 6,000 square meters are used for mushroom growing. This is considered the largest mushroom farm in the Central Highlands today. In particular, this enterprise operates according to a circular model, all mushroom spawn after harvest are composted into organic fertilizer for the surrounding garden.

The first 4-star OCOP mushroom in Dak Lak

Reporters arrived at the mushroom farm of Thanh Dong Mo Green Food Joint Stock Company just as workers were rushing to arrange thousands of mushroom spawns to be delivered to the Lam Dong Department of Science and Technology to deliver to the people.

According to Mr. Doan Xuan Truong, Director of the Company, in addition to growing mushrooms to provide food, the company also transfers mushroom spawn to localities.

Off-season reishi mushrooms grow well and yield high yields at the farm. Photo: Quang Yen.

Before implementing the mushroom growing model in 2020, the enterprise proactively sought out the Institute for Research and Development of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms (Vietnam Academy of Agriculture) to receive experience sharing and technical guidance from experts, and production processes of medicinal and edible mushrooms.

After consulting, the company invested in 6 mushroom farms. In order for the mushrooms to grow well and produce high yields, the mushroom farms are all equipped with misting irrigation systems and closed insect screens. In particular, the solar mushroom dryer uses convection hot air drying technology, maintaining a stable drying temperature, helping to preserve the medicinal content in the mushrooms.

According to Mr. Truong, the company wants to provide the market with products and services of optimal quality, bringing the highest level of customer satisfaction, so it has invested thoroughly. This is considered one of the first models to be deployed on a large scale, with systematic techniques in Dak Lak province as well as the Central Highlands, combining clean food production and clean energy.

“The company's mushroom growing model invests in a systematic factory system with a one-way, unified production process from input materials to output products, which are separated, ensuring a clean environment for mushrooms to grow without being infected with diseases.

The raw materials for mushroom production are taken from rubber tree sawdust. The 1,000m2 raw material processing area is equipped with a wheel loader and a forklift to handle sawdust. The company's production area and commercial mushroom breeding room have a capacity of 1,000kg of seeds/month," said Mr. Truong.

According to Mr. Truong, the mushroom spawn production area is also invested with modern equipment such as electric boilers, mushroom spawn steaming chamber systems, mushroom spawn packing machines... to ensure a production capacity of 1.6 - 2 million mushroom spawns/year.

"The mycelium nursery area has an air convection fan system and an insect screen system, ensuring the temperature is always cool and dry. The company also ensures the production and supply of high-quality oyster mushroom, black fungus, lingzhi mushroom, and cloud mushroom seeds... for mushroom growers in Dak Lak and surrounding provinces," Mr. Truong shared.

Lingzhi mushroom - one of two 4-star OCOP products of Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company. Photo: Quang Yen.

Currently, Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company grows mushrooms such as lingzhi, cloud chi, monkey head, wood ear mushrooms, abalone... The company's products have also achieved ISO 22,000 and VietGAP certification. Notably, in 2022, the company's wood ear mushrooms and lingzhi mushrooms were recognized as 4-star OCOP, while abalone mushrooms and oyster mushrooms were certified as 3-star OCOP.

“The climate of the Central Highlands allows for mushroom cultivation all year round. However, in the off-season, the yield will be lower. The model is grown semi-naturally. Each year, the yield of lingzhi mushrooms is 3-5 tons; cloud mushrooms is 2-3 tons; and edible mushrooms are 40-50 tons.

Currently, the output of edible mushroom products is not enough to supply the market. For medicinal mushrooms, the company is currently distributing to localities across the country. The company is researching to deeply process the products to increase value and make it more convenient for consumers," Mr. Truong added.

Leave nothing behind

To have products to supply the market all year round, Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company is experimenting with off-season planting of reishi mushrooms, black fungus mushrooms and monkey head mushrooms. These are types of mushrooms with high nutritional value and high market demand. The experimental planting of off-season in the dry season is to meet the needs of partners when requested.

For convenience and productivity improvement, Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company's farm is mechanized and uses automatic systems, managed by software installed on phones from input to output.

Ganoderma mushrooms are grown at Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company. Photo: Quang Yen.

Thanks to the thorough investment in factories, technology and techniques, the mushroom growing model under the solar roof of this enterprise has been put into effective operation. In particular, the model has brought double benefits because it has both revenue from electricity and electricity for agricultural production, creating quality products.

Revenue from mushrooms brings the company 3 - 5 billion VND/year. More importantly, the business has created stable jobs for 15 local workers with an income of more than 5 million VND/person/month.

Mr. Truong said that the company's products are green and circular. After being harvested, the mushroom spawn will be composted to make organic fertilizer for the plants on the farm.

The farm is currently growing fruit trees such as durian, avocado, orange, tangerine, etc. Using mushroom spawn as organic fertilizer has helped the business reduce a large amount of fertilizer. This helps save costs and move towards a circular, organic, ecological and sustainable agriculture.

Currently, the company is implementing green product certification and circular agriculture. The farm uses solar power above, all machines use this energy source.

After harvesting, the mushroom spawn is composted by the company into organic fertilizer for the surrounding fruit orchards according to a circular model. Photo: Quang Yen.

"Some places with developed agriculture are closely linked to the application of science and technology in production. The application of high technology aims to change the mindset of agriculture, bringing safe products to people. Therefore, businesses take advantage of all inputs and outputs, leaving nothing behind," said Mr. Truong.

Regarding future development, Thanh Dong Green Food Joint Stock Company has registered with the authorities to turn the farm into a local agricultural tourism attraction. The company is also continuing to build facilities and standards to be licensed to become the first agricultural tourism model in Dak Lak. The company has also built a sightseeing model. The company has been visited by agricultural cooperatives inside and outside the province, domestic and foreign enterprises to learn and seek business opportunities.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/trai-nam-lon-nhat-tay-nguyen-khong-bo-di-thu-gi-d380181.html