Cordyceps mushrooms are successfully cultivated in the Tam Đảo Mushroom Co-operative. — VNA/VNS Photos Hoàng Hùng

VĨNH PHÚC — Nguyễn Quốc Huy, from the town of Hợp Châu in Tam Đảo District in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc, keeps busy inspecting each jar of cordyceps mushrooms before delivering it to customers.

His Tam Đảo Mushroom Co-operative is preparing to harvest its cordyceps.

Huy, director of the co-operative, said he was born and raised in the district, an area blessed by nature, with a unique climate and soil conditions that are ideal for cultivating various local agricultural products.

Driven by the ambition to build wealth in his homeland, he has nurtured a dream of creating a successful local business.

After making a bold investment to cultivate valuable mushrooms, Huy has contributed not only to the area's economic growth, but also job creation for the local workforce.

Reflecting on the early days of his business, Huy recalled: "One day, I bought some oyster mushrooms to cook and my wife praised how delicious they were. That prompted me to search online for mushroom growing methods. The more I researched, the more interested I became, and the idea of making a living from mushroom cultivation began to take shape."

He discussed the idea with his wife before investing all his savings in purchasing waste cotton and tarpaulins to build a mushroom cultivation site.

Given his limited capital and lack of experience, he initially chose to experiment with growing straw mushrooms.

The weather proved favourable that year, and his first batch of mushrooms thrived, yielding 600kg.

After selling them at VNĐ30,000 (US$1.10) per kilogramme and deducting expenses, he earned a profit of more than VNĐ10 million ($391).

Encouraged by this success, he took out a loan to purchase equipment and expand his cultivation area.

He also enrolled in a mushroom cultivation course at the Agricultural Genetics Institute to gain knowledge in pest control and disease prevention.

In April 2009, with the aim of expanding his mushroom production and offering a variety of mushroom products on the market, Huy established the Tam Đảo Mushroom Co-operative, which initially had 12 members.

The co-operative focused on producing edible mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, shiitake and medicinal mushrooms.

Huy noted that in his experience, mushroom cultivation has low production costs, requires minimal labour and makes use of available local materials.

The process not only protects the environment but also increases profits for the farmers involved.

The co-operative carefully selects all its raw materials for mushroom cultivation, sterilising them with lime water and mixing them with rice bran and cassava powder.

After passing through a mixing machine, the materials are packaged into plastic bags, each equipped with a breathable filter to prevent bacterial contamination.

The sawdust waste from the oyster mushroom cultivation process is treated by the co-operative to eliminate bacteria before being used to grow straw mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms.

Waste from growing other types of mushrooms, which often contains harmful fungi, is dried and turned into organic fertiliser.

The co-operative has expanded its cultivation area to 5,000 square metres so far, and invested in a straw rolling machine to reduce costs and save on labour, aiming to produce 400 tonnes of fresh mushrooms annually.

It has also established a production chain that links local households from three districts in the province: Tam Đảo, Bình Xuyên and Lập Thạch.

Building a brand

Workers package cordyceps at the Tam Đảo Mushroom Co-operative.

Not resting on the success of its mushroom products, Huy has set his sights on diversifying, researching and experimenting with the cultivation of cordyceps mushrooms.

In 2019, after researching the health benefits of cordyceps, Huy sought the help of professors and doctors from the Centre for Biotechnology at the institute to acquire the technology needed for cordyceps cultivation.

He then invested VNĐ1.2 billion ($47,000) to build large-scale facilities for cultivating cordyceps, following a closed-loop process that covers everything from spawn production to harvesting, storage and distribution.

The facility has four refrigerated rooms, consisting of one for inoculation, one for incubation and two for mushroom cultivation.

Huy explained that while cordyceps is a highly nutritious and beneficial medicinal mushroom, it is difficult to cultivate in Việt Nam’s climate.

Cordyceps typically grows in cold highland areas and requires specific nutrients, a suitable host organism and an ideal environment to thrive.

In his experimental cultivation, Huy used silkworm pupae as a substrate for growing the mushrooms.

The inoculation process is the most crucial step, as it determines whether the cultivation will succeed or fail.

Before inoculating, it is essential to sterilise the substrate thoroughly to eliminate any harmful microorganisms.

During the incubation phase, constant attention must be paid to humidity and temperature to ensure optimal conditions for growth.

After 60 to 70 days, a complete crop is ready for harvest.

After successfully mastering the propagation and production processes, in August 2020, the co-operative began large-scale production of cordyceps mushrooms, adhering to the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards.

To enhance the economic value of its products, the co-operative has registered exclusive trademarks, added barcodes for traceability, and, importantly, focused on building a distinctive brand that represents Tam Đảo District.

Currently, the co-operative's cordyceps products are popular among customers, with many choosing them as gifts when visiting the Tam Đảo region.

Thanks to its production activities, the co-operative generates over VNĐ1.5 billion ($58,700) in annual revenue and provides stable employment for more than 10 local workers, offering a monthly income of VNĐ5 million ($195) per person.

Huy said the co-operative has nine products that have earned the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme’s three- and four-star certifications, out of a total of 20 products of the province.

Two of its products have been recognised with certificates for exemplary rural industrial products by the province.

The co-operative's products are widely trusted by consumers across the country, with more than 50 per cent of customers purchasing through social media platforms.

As a result of its achievements, Huy and the co-operative have received numerous awards, including the Việt Nam Trusted Brand Gold Cup in 2014 and the Lương Định Của Award in 2018.

In 2023, the co-operative was honoured as one of the top 63 exemplary co-operatives nationwide. — VNS