search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
CONTENTS Tale of two cities 8 16 8


12 16 26 30 34 38 43


Chinese focus on Agaricus What’s in a name? Conference in Monaghan Bottle cultivation in Austria Hungary needs update Kingsize eryngii cultivation Water in compost My Farm: Jurkiewicz (PL)


And....


Cultivation tips AdVisie News


ISMS News Focus


6, 19 4


19 22


Cultivation tips DLV Plant Mushrooms 37 Service


42


Cover foto: Pleurotus erengyii at Fujian Jiatian Agricultural Development Co.,Ltd., not far from Zhangzhou (see page 34). Photo: Roel Dreve


Roel Dreve Tel. +31 (0)6 23617575 roel@mushroombusiness.com www.mushroombusiness.nl


12 30


alking to players from east and west in Zhangzhou, I’ve noticed again that ambition is hardly ever a problem. Sup- pliers and growers from both ‘cities’ have that quality in abundance. But whether you defi ne an exotic mushroom ‘zone’ in Dutch Limburg, or an Agaricus one in China, you have to create an adequate basic material supply, transport and a market to make it work and fl ourish. This is not a simple challenge. I know of a Scandinavian farm that once had a state-of-the-art facility built, everything was in place to start, but they were unable to get their ROI right in time, and the operation failed. Some east-west investments crumble after the fi rst stone is laid, some are visited by the killer robot when they’re poised to start. It’s all a matter of getting all the parameters right, and, quoting Mark Wach, ‘matching the load with the road’. This is why there is only one mo- dern bottle cultivation operation in Europe, and why modern Agaricus farms in China are just now nearing completion or successful operation. At the 7th Chinese Mushroom Days, there was, more than ever, a more realistic and cautious view on development from both ‘cities’. I’m curious how this will play out in 2014. I thank Mr Yadong and Mr Liu of CFNA, and all the readers and advertisers who support our publications. I wish you a great festive season, and happy gaming next year.


In the early nineties, I used to play SimCity, an open-ended city-building computer game, in which the player has to de- velop a city from scratch, while maintaining the happiness of its citizens and keeping a stable budget. You must defi ne commercial, residential and industrial zones, create ade- quate supplies, transport, tax levels and create income to invest, and expand your city. It seems simple at fi rst, but if your ambition is too high (or too low), you don’t seek advice and you fail to balance all parameters involved, trade buil- dings start to crumble, or your Sims start rebelling because of low wages or rubbish piling up in the streets. And just when you have trade going and one million happy citizens, a giant killer robot appears and sets your enterprise on fi re. Sometimes, when I travel through China, I think of this game. When I checked Google Earth to fi nd the conference venue of the 7th Chinese Mushroom Days in Zhangzhou, it was not there yet. The whole area shown was still desig- nated as ‘residential’ or ‘industrial’, not as ‘commercial’. In no time, apparently, this part of the city was bulldozed and reconstructed with fi ve star hotels and a giant mall. When you drive to the countryside, contrasts can be huge. The same counts for mushroom production in a way. Mart Christiaens showed me pictures of Agaricus farms with bamboo shelving, not really up to par with 21st century cultivation. He said I should visit some before they vanish. The enoki and pleurotus farms I visited myself were highly sophisticated, automated and professional though, compa- rable with the fi nest Korean or Japanese operations. They were poised for expansion too. Google Earth won’t be able to keep track. Now, you’ve got the western mushroom ‘city’, where all revolves around Agaricus cultivation. Most resources, research, marketing and investments are directed at this product. And you’ve got the eastern ‘city’, where ‘other’ (‘exotic’, ‘gourmet’) mushrooms are what it’s all about. Wes- tern suppliers seek expansion into the eastern zone, and eastern suppliers the other way around. Eastern growers show interest in Agaricus cultivation, and western growers in growing exotics. This exchange has been going on for some decades, but it has proven to be a slow process. T


3


editorial


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44