YCDC hits market with first trial batch of nutrient-rich oyster mushrooms

The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has successfully launched commercial sales of high-protein, nutrient-rich oyster mushrooms following a successful experimental harvest in North Okkalapa Township, according to the Mayangon District Department of Markets and Commodities Centre under YCDC.
The trial cultivation was conducted by the end of April, and the mushrooms were distributed to the consumers. “We are conducting trial cultivation of Pleurotus by different departments under YCDC. The harvested mushrooms are already being sold in the market at prices cheaper than those outside. At the Gagyi Market in North Okkalapa, mushrooms are being harvested daily from the cultivation site, although the daily yield varies. The main aim is to help staff by providing an affordable curry. Efforts are also underway to produce the spawn bags ourselves. Since the mushrooms can be cultivated year-round, they are considered a good product for commercial production,” said U Nay Lin, head of department.
The YCDC operates mushroom plantations in different districts in addition to vegetables, which are being planted in extra land areas of the markets.
At the North Okkalapa Gagyi Market cultivation site, spawn bags costing K1,600 each are planted in batches ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 bags at a time. Each spawn bag yields about 16 Kyattha (a Myanmar measurement equivalent to tical) in the first harvest. By the second harvest, the cost of the spawn bag is recovered, while the third to fifth harvests generate profit.
The mushrooms are priced at K12,500 at the farmyard and at K20,000 per viss in the market. Efforts are being made to shift from purchasing spawn bags to producing them independently. Although production tends to decrease during the summer season, year-round cultivation is possible. Consumers have increasingly recognized Pleurotus as a marketable mushroom dish, and based on experiences gained during the rainy season trials, production will continue through winter and summer as well.
The trial cultivation is being carried out to enable the public to consume locally produced Pleurotus instead of imported mushrooms, with efforts underway to expand production as an affordable food product accessible to all social classes. The Pleurotus, straw mushroom and Rishi mushroom all possess medicinal properties. About six Kyattha of mushrooms contain about 22 to 35 calories, 80 to 90 per cent water content, around 3.1 grammes of protein, about 0.3 gramme of fat, and 1 to 2 grammes of fibre. Low in calories but rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, mushrooms are regarded as a natural medicinal food. — Thitsa (MNA)/KTZH

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