TLT Dynamic Sdn Bhd, Terengganu’s leading mushroom producer, will increase its
mushroom production to 300kg daily upon the completion of its three additional
farms. Currently, the company is producing nearly 100kg of oyster mushroom daily.
Its executive chairman, Sufian Mohd, the company started commercial production of
grey oyster mushrooms last October and initially produced 50kg of mushrooms.
“The company has spent about RM500,000 to build five farms, each with the
capacity to house 30,000 bags of mushroom seeds which can be harvested in five
months,” he said in a statement released in Kuala Terengganu on Monday.
Oyster mushrooms have been touted as a gourmet’s delight all over the world.
Known for its nutritional value including anti-oxidant properties, it is a good
alternative to animal protein and is believed to be anti-carcinogenic.
TLT signed a deal last year with GCH Retail (M) Sdn Bhd to sell its mushrooms at
the chain’s 87 Giant outlets and 16 Cold Storage stores nationwide. Sufian said TLT
also marketed its mushrooms to other supermarkets in Terengganu. Terengganu is
emerging as a formidable producer of mushrooms to reduce its dependency on
Thailand. The state government gave monetary aid amounting to RM110,000 last
year to mushroom cultivators to give the industry a boost and create farming
entrepreneurs.
According to Department of Agriculture and Department of Statistics, more than 2.6
million tonnes of mushrooms worth about RM27.74 million were imported in 2004.
China, Canada and India are the top three producers of both fresh and processed
mushrooms. Global mushroom production is 31 percent for button, shiitake (24
percent), oyster (14 percent), black ear mushroom (nine percent) and paddy straw
mushroom (eight percent).