Farmers in Châu Đức Commune harvest wood ear mushrooms for supplying the Tết market. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — With just over 20 days to go for the Lunar New Year of the Horse, farmers in HCM City are in their busiest period of the year.

Mushroom cultivation is now reaching its annual harvest peak, and there is normally strong demand during Tết.

This year mushroom prices have remained steady and at relatively high levels, giving farmers confidence of good returns, a welcome prospect as households prepare for the biggest holiday of the year.

In recent days, mushroom farms in Châu Đức Commune have been operating at full capacity.

At the farm of Vũ Văn Khánh in Liên Hiệp Hamlet, the harvest of dried wood ear mushrooms has entered its most intensive phase.

Dozens of workers are hired daily to pick, process and sun-dry mushrooms.

Khánh switched from lingzhi and oyster mushrooms to wood ear mushrooms in all 39 growing places as early as the end of the eighth lunar month, and have 400,000 substrate bags.

Wood ear mushrooms planted in the ninth lunar month began yielding in early December and will continue beyond Tết, aligning well with peak consumption.

The family expects total output during and after the Tết season to reach about 15 tonnes.

With prices ranging from VNĐ90,000 to VNĐ100,000 per kilogram (US$3.6 to $4), and after deducting more than VNĐ1 billion (around $40,000) in costs, profits are expected to be VNĐ400 million (about $16,000).

Khánh said: “Every day we harvest hundreds of kilograms of wood ear mushrooms, mainly supplying traders in the city, Đồng Nai and nearby localities. Wood ear mushrooms sell particularly well during Tết. With favourable weather and stable prices this year, we are optimistic about a bumper season.”

A similarly busy scene can be seen at the farm of Phạm Văn Tinh, also in Châu Đức Commune, where 20 growing places with around 200,000 substrate bags are being carefully tended.

Although he faced early difficulties due to diseases that caused losses of about 30 per cent, favourable weather later helped him recover.

This Tết season he expects to harvest between seven and eight tonnes of dried wood ear mushrooms.

Châu Đức Commune is home to 21 mushroom farmers with 6.8 hectares, who grow varieties like wood ear, grey oyster and lingzhi.

While some farmers have switched to other crops due to rising costs, improved techniques and favourable weather have helped farmers maintain large outputs and steady prices.

Fresh mushrooms for daily meals and traditional Tết dishes are also seeing strong demand.

In Bình Giã Commune, farmer Trần Hài Hòa has 30 straw mushroom growing places and produces up to 2.5 tonnes per month. He expects to harvest around one tonne during the Tết period.

He said straw mushrooms typically fetch VNĐ65,000-70,000 per kilogram during normal days but rise to VNĐ90,000-100,000 ($3.6 to $4) ahead of Tết.

But straw mushrooms require demanding conditions as they thrive at temperatures of 30-35 degrees Celsius not normally seen during the cooler year-end period.

Growers must therefore carefully control indoor conditions, limit ventilation and use heating lamps to maintain the temperature.

In Tân Thành Ward, Nguyễn Thị Hoài, who has more than 24 years of experience in oyster mushroom cultivation, has around 250,000 substrate bags.

She said producing high-quality mushrooms requires strict adherence to technical processes, from selecting disease-free spawn and sterilising substrates to regulating temperature, humidity and light.

Oyster mushrooms intended for Tết are typically bagged early in the lunar 11th month and begin yielding after about one and a half months, with harvests lasting three to four months.

Hoài now harvests 400-500 kilograms of fresh mushrooms a day. With prices ranging from VNĐ35,000-50,000 per kilogram ($1.4 to $2), she hoped to make profits of VNĐ400 million (about $16,000) this season.

“This year’s weather has been very favourable for oyster mushrooms, and prices are high. In the days leading up to Tết, demand is extremely strong and everything we harvest sells immediately.”

Farmers across the city agreed that consistent weather conditions with cooler temperatures and high humidity have been ideal for their mushrooms.

Mushrooms are an indispensable ingredient in traditional Vietnamese meals during the Lunar New Year. — VNA/VNS Photo

Meanwhile, mushroom consumption continues to rise, driven by year-end celebrations and the growing popularity of vegetarian and healthy diets.

Mushroom cultivation has helped many farming households secure steady incomes and aligns with the city’s strategy to develop high-value urban agriculture.

But growers face certain challenges, particularly in securing quality spawn, which is largely sourced from other localities, increasing costs and quality risks.

Farmers are calling for greater local investment in standardised spawn production centres to reduce costs and improve productivity. — VNS