FAO mushroom farming

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FIGURE 11 Mushroom houses with walls built from oil palm leaves (Photo by N. G. Nair) distance away from living spaces, either at the other end of the house or in a different building several metres away. Nets placed over doors and ventilation gaps allow air in but keep the flies out. Ideally, double entry doors reduce contamination and escaping spores. Rural small-scale mushroom growing enterprises do not need expensive equipment and some equipment may be shared between growers. Additional equipment and tools used can include: • a large metal drum or pot for sterilizing the substrate in; • bags for growing; • brushes or soft cloths for cleaning mushrooms; • tables to place growing bags on; • nets to screen rooms and buildings in order to keep flies off the mushrooms; • cartons for harvested mushrooms. Make money by growing mushrooms 29
It is likely that spores are purchased from a nearby town or city, so appropriate access and transport facilities are important. Transport infrastructure is also of importance when selling mushrooms because of their perishable qualities. Consequently, in areas where the infrastructure is weak it may be beneficial for producers to process the product (by pickling, drying, etc.) to overcome these constraints. Financial assets Mushroom cultivation is attractive for the resource-poor for two reasons. Firstly, because mushroom cultivation can be done on any scale, the initial financial outlay to establish a basic cultivation system need not be very great, and substrate materials are often free. An example from Thailand illustrates the point: a mushroom house large enough to hold 1 000 mushroom bags can be built for less than US$15, utilising the materials available locally. Secondly, compared to many agricultural and horticultural crops, mushroom production systems have a short turn around; a harvestable crop can be produced and sold within two to four months, which is very helpful for small-scale producers. Summary Mushroom cultivation can make a valuable contribution to sustainable livelihoods for both rural and urban poor, because they are highly compatible with other livelihood activities, requiring minimal physical and financial inputs and resources, to be undertaken successfully. Furthermore, it represents an ideal activity for older people, those in poor health, and also people with physical and mental disabilities. Mushrooms can be cultivated on both a small and large scale to allow for personal consumption, provision of a supplemental or principal income source, or the start of a commercial enterprise. Indeed, the basic requirements centre on an identified source for purchasing spores, access to suitable substrate and the means to sterilize it, some bags and a clean, dark room to cultivate in. For people interested in experimenting, the range in types of mushrooms and cultivation techniques can prove challenging and gratifying. 30
Page 1 and 2: Make money by growing mushrooms FAO
Page 3 and 4: The views expressed in this publica
Page 5 and 6: Strategies for successful and susta
Page 7 and 8: each booklet identifies additional
Page 10 and 11: Introduction There are hundreds of
Page 12 and 13: Mushrooms and sustainable livelihoo
Page 14 and 15: The medicinal properties of mushroo
Page 16: Livelihood opportunities Trade in c
Page 19 and 20: FIGURE 3 Life cycle of a mushroom 4
Page 21 and 22: saprobic species. Some mushrooms -
Page 23 and 24: FIGURE 4 Incubation of mushroom spa
Page 25 and 26: y hanging wet rags at several point
Page 27 and 28: laboratory facilities to produce sp
Page 29 and 30: FIGURE 8 Pleurotus ostreatus (Photo
Page 31 and 32: and, as the spawn develops and the
Page 34 and 35: Assets required for mushroom cultiv
Page 36 and 37: A sterilized composted substrate on
Page 40 and 41: Strategies for successful and susta
Page 42 and 43: CASE STUDY 6 Product quality and ma
Page 44 and 45: CASE STUDY 7 The magic touch of a l
Page 46: new techniques and/or varieties is
Page 49 and 50: • implementing rural livelihood s
Page 51 and 52: shared investment in equipment, hel
Page 53 and 54: isk for small-scale producers, and
Page 56 and 57: Selected further reading Aletor, V.
Page 58 and 59: Smith, J.E., Rowan, N.J. & Sullivan
Page 60 and 61: Sources of further information and
Page 62 and 63: Federal Institute of Industrial Res
Page 64: THIS BOOKLET HIGHLIGHTS THE MANY OP

FAO mushroom farming

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