FARM TALK

Depending on the initial budget, on the outlet from the area of the investment, a mushroom farm can be started in two ways: 1. A mushroom farm with a continuous production, with a daily harvesting.

This is assured by a minimum of four growing rooms. Depending on the local market there can be cultivated the white button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms

2. A mushroom farm with 1-2 growing rooms.

In this case the selling of mushrooms will take place directly on the local market. The necessary steps to start a mushroom business:

1. Decide upon the type of mushrooms you want to cultivate. This is determined by multiple factors:

– the area you want to invest in (the local market), – the budget you want to allocate to the investment (growing agaricus mushrooms requires a bigger investment than oyster or shiitake ones).

2. Growing system

The growing system can be: – Dutch system of growing mushrooms, system adopted by the most mushroom farms in the world – the tray system of growing mushrooms – the growing system on floor (it”s an old growing system )

3. The labor force in your area.

Taking into consideration that mushroom harvesting for retail selling is manually made, make sure that the area provides you labor force.

4. Choose the right location. A mushroom farm can be placed in:

– former livestock farms or poultry farms. These buildings require a special hygienic and insulation to achieve the right technological parameters inside – Greenfield investment

In this case the field where the mushroom farm is to be placed must dispose of the following utilities: three-phase, access road for lorries, water coming from networks or drilled well and it must not be on a slope.

5. Investigate the market.