CONTENTS 42 LAUREL VALLEY EXPANDS
Roel Dreve Publisher
Global Roel Media
Steady as she goes?
This edition of Mushroom Business looks more closely at mushroom cultivation in India and the USA.
34 ON THE ROAD 8 ON THE BEACH
8 The 23rd NAMC in tropical Puerto Rico 15 Superchamp ISO 22000 certifi ed 20 Good compost needs good nutrients 28 Northwards of Delhi 34 Mushroom cultivation around Delhi 42 Laurel Valley: bigger and better 44 Winning Polish combination
AND: 6, 16 Cultivation tips AdVisie 19 ISMS News 19 News 24 Focus 38 Cultivation tips DLV 46 Out and about 46 Service
Front page photo: A young worker sprays water from a well on compost ricks at Manoj Kumar Mushroom Farm, not far from Gannaur, Sonepat, India. In September, composting starts for the (winter) seasonal growing of white button mushrooms. All work is done manually (see page 37).
Photo: Roel Dreve
India really sailed ahead in the 1980s when many modern, climatised farms were established. These days, around 5 farms operate using highly advanced methods, but the majority of farms engage in seasonal production. The modern farms achieve high efficiency, high output and good quality, while the seasonal growers make rela- tively good, short-term profits. There is a huge potential market for fresh mushroom, and the group of modern growers is bursting with ambi- tion. Companies such as Welkin are determined to make the transition to phase III shortly. Imper- fect infrastructure, lack of good basic material and knowhow and hygiene issues are aspects that can be overcome, as we have seen before in mushroom countries in their pioneering phase. I guess what slows progression/innovation is rather the fact that seasonal growers can earn a good income as it is, thanks to the almost inexhaustible supply of cheap labour and available land. Why bother with conditioned transport or hygiene if the market in Delhi isn’t really bothered, and why provide decent housing, salaries and protection for your labour force if this is not enforced? In the USA production and consumption levels are naturally on another scale, and this sector has no equal regarding sales and promotional campaigns, as illustrated once again at the festive, cordial and very well organized NAMC in Puerto Rico, with the theme of ‘Navigate the Waters’. The gigantic US mushroom industry appears to be on an even keel, but it is not the ‘Mushroom Innovation Capital of the World’. Many farms still use the traditional ‘Pennsylvania doubles’ system and are unsuitable for phase III compost. This, and a negative investment climate, is causing American companies to concentrate on the market and not on production. Many Europeans can’t comprehend that such a mature industry like the American one does not change tack faster in favour of invest- ments that have proven to be advantageous even in the short term. If the prices disappoint, costs continue to rise, the availability of cheap labour is hampered by changing legislation, and the market demands higher quality, then the USA could find itself adrift in rough waters.
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