Oostvogels from Hooymans and Gé Wijnands from Topterra also assisted by answering any questions about compost or casing soil. The blocks are filled using a simple filling machine. This machine is now also suitable to case separately. After filling, an inoculation/ supplementing machine –like the ones we used 25 years ago in Holland – is used for levelling. Once production levels and methods have become more consistent, it will also be possible to supplement. The compost will then be so level that CAC can easily be applied with a ruffler after casing. In the first cropping cycle, casing was done manually, but this is now being done mechanically using similar methods to the machines CNC used to fill growing rooms in the 1980s and 90s. The size of the farm didn’t justify purchasing a fully combined filling and casing line. Many other aspects have also been copied from Dutch methods. To save on labour costs, foreign workers, who live and work on the farm, were recruited. This means that a guaranteed number of workers are available all week. These employees will also have to receive full training in harvesting techniques, as well as learning about how to take the correct hygiene measures to recognise and prevent pests and diseases.
Radio promotion
Lebanon has around 4,000,000 inhabitants and Ajaltoun is situated just 30 minutes from the capital Beirut with its estimated population of 1,000,000. So marketing opportunities abound, but mushroom consumption in Lebanon still has to be developed. George Yaghi has, however, devised a unique way of promoting his produce. Every week a radio programme is broadcast highlighting a particular facet of his company, and this approach is used to promote fresh mushrooms too. Listeners could ask questions about mushroom growing and how to use them.
The fi rst mushrooms, ready to be sold.
The programme also encouraged people to seek employment in the sector, or even start up a farm or related business. This very popular programme, broadcast by the national radio channel, threw up some interesting questions about how mushrooms grow and are cultivated, and the possibilities of entering the sector independently.
Excellent potential
and uses the same suppliers for raw materials, construction materials and machin- ery. As it has become clear that starting a farm from scratch is no easy task, the future farm manager will first attend a course given by DLV in the Netherlands. Afterwards, supervision will be provided and the rest of the labour force can be trained locally.
Yaghi has now started construction work on a second farm. The rooms should be ready for filling in May. This farm has six growing rooms of 250 m2
The new farm managers assessing production.
The climatic conditions in the region are excellent for mushroom growing. It rarely freezes, and as the farms lie at a relatively high altitude (800 m above sea level), there is never extreme heat – contrary to the coastal region. The rocky soil produces hardly any dust that could cause infections during filling and casing. The location does mean that longer distances will have to be covered to dispose of the spent compost. However, due to the absence of cattle farming, there is no competition on market for manure. The logistic infrastructure necessary to market the mushrooms is also in place, with a good, but busy, road network. The sharp rise in traffic and the difficulty of building new roads in this mountainous region could however lead to problems in the future. However, all things taken into account, there is potential enough for this initiative to succeed and supply the con- sumers of Lebanon with fresh mushrooms.
Marketing
opportunities abound, but mushroom
consumption in
Lebanon still has to be developed.
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 29
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