L
ianyungang Guoxin Mushroom Complete Equipment Co., Ltd. (formerly Lianyungang Guoxin Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.) was
founded in 2002 and is part of the Kuosen Group, that also includes Kuosen Biotechnology and Senoh Medical Equipment. The companies are located in the Technological Development Zone in Lianyungang City, some five hours drive north of Shanghai, in Jiangsu Province. There is an important link between Guoxin and its neighbour Senoh on the opposite side of the road. Much of the experience gained by Senoh, established in 1995, in production for the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, is applied for the development of equipment for the mushroom sector. Guoxin originally produced pulse vacuum sterilisers for mushroom substrate production and was in that respect a pioneer in China. The improved version, the GXMQ-type, has features including a shorter sterilisation cycle, steam-saving facility and is ‘ kinder’ for the bottles ( baskets). This type is exported to destinations including India, France and the USA. More machines and systems gradually started to be supplied to the sector, and Guoxin succeeded in almost single-handedly ending the monopoly held for years by foreign (Korean, Japanese) suppliers to the Chinese mushroom industry. The company estimates that it supplies 62% of the market in China. So it is perfectly logical that Guoxin occupied one of the largest stands at the Chinese Mushroom Days in Zhangzhou (see page 14-17).
Liquid spawn
Guoxin supplies designs for industrial produc- tion of mushrooms; for buildings, but also for air handling systems, logistics and even for the movements of people in farms and substrate plants. These plans are also supplied outside China, for example to South Africa and Bulgaria. The company also manufactures a whole range of machinery, such as automatic bottle holder processing equipment, loading machines, bottle lines, scratch machines, trolleys and shelving. A particular specialism of Guoxin is manufactur- ing machines, tanks and systems for the produc- tion of liquid spawn. Jim Xu: “The use of liquid spawn in the sector is rising, but it is ‘weak’, and production must be done under highly-con- trolled conditions. The technique was introduced in 2006 from Japan where it is used in enoki cultivation; now 90% of Chinese enoki growers use liquid spawn. In 2009, liquid spawn for erengyii growing was imported from Korea; now it is used by 50% of Chinese erengyii growers. Its use is not as widespread among shiitake growers (only in bottle systems)”. According to Xu, Korea is the most advanced in the use of liquid spawn, and Chinese and Korean techniques are generally used to grow enoki and erengyii in bottles. No Chinese systems have been created for shimeji and beech mushrooms, Japan still has the advantage in this niche. “Certain machines,
At the offi ce of Guoxin, with (ltr) Bert Rade- makers, Roel Dreve, Xu Chengji, Martin van de Vorle and Lucas Wong. The visit to this company was part of a trip with Bert, Roel and Martin to China, organised by Mushroom Business.
The Guoxin offi ces (right) and assembly hall (left behind trees) at the Technological Development Zone in Lianyungang City. The pic- ture was taken in front of the Senoh building across the street.
The company manufactures all kinds of machinery for the mushroom industry, including bottle systems.
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 29
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