Mushroom farm - an idea for your own business

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Any business is a kind of income that almost every one of us aspires to. At present, every person wants to be financially independent and earn a living in the activity that is of the greatest interest. After all, otherwise the work will seem like hard labor. In connection with this, a business such as a mushroom farm can become a good income.

In favor of this, one can cite statistics, according to which a third of the total population living in Russia prefers to eat mushrooms. At the same time, some go on their own searches, but most of them visit markets or shops to save time, where mushrooms have already been collected and it remains only to pick them up, however, for a certain amount. Moreover, the consumption of these products is increasing every year by 20-25%.

Reason for widespread demand

Increasing demand for mushrooms due to several reasons. First of all, it is worth noting their low cost, compared with seafood or meat products. WhatAs for the benefits, they are in no way inferior to the mentioned products in terms of the content of nutrients useful for the human body.

Due to the content of a large amount of protein and minerals (potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium and other substances) in products, one can understand how relevant such a business as a home mushroom farm is. Oyster mushroom, champignon, shiitake - all these mushrooms are just a real warehouse for our body.

Typically, dried mushrooms are better absorbed by people than fresh ones. And due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids in the composition, s alt deposits do not occur on the walls of blood vessels.

Advantages and disadvantages of doing business

What are the positive aspects of the mushroom business? First of all, this is a small amount of initial contributions, which does not happen with every business. Other significant pluses are:

• not seasonal;
• high percentage of profitability;
• constantly increasing demand in the Russian market;
• crop can be harvested every week;
• one substrate can be used up to three times.

In addition, if you make a mushroom farm, you won't have to spend much on rent.

Unfortunately, this activity also has its drawbacks. One of these is the complex sale of products for wholesale buyers. It is also not easy to maintain the necessary conditions for the proper development of mushrooms.

What is to be implemented?

Often those who facethe need to open their own business, they wonder what they can sell or what services they can provide. Considering in this case the example of a mushroom farm, we can distinguish several market segments in which products can be supplied in the following form:

• fresh:
• frozen;
• canned.

Sometimes the market can be supplemented with dried mushrooms. According to A. V. Khrenov, General Director of the School of Mushroom Growing, the Russian market is filled with fresh products by about 22%; 28% falls on canned mushrooms. The remaining 50% is frozen food.

In favor of a business like a mushroom farm, it is worth citing some interesting data received from a large supplier. Back in 2004, the domestic market was filled with frozen mushrooms for 15 thousand tons, and the total amount of useful product was 30 thousand tons. Although market experts give other figures - 60 thousand tons. And the most developed segment is represented by frozen mushrooms, the demand for which increases by 30% year by year.

At the same time, the total consumption of mushrooms for the whole of 2003 amounted to almost 500 thousand tons, which is equivalent to the consumption of at least 3 kg of this product by each person. For comparison, in the United States, there were no more than 2.5 kg of mushrooms per capita. Thus, it gives rise to thinking about what exactly can be marketed.

Where to start?

Any entrepreneurial activity, including a homemade mushroom farm, does notwithout a good business plan. Thanks to him, you can determine the important stages through which you should go. A plan for the cultivation and further sale of mushrooms may include several important steps, during which it is necessary to:

• purchase seed;
• prepare the substrate (raw material);
• directly grow mushrooms;
• sell goods.

It is also necessary to decide on the choice of equipment, hire staff and take into account a number of other equally important points. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves and try to consider this type of business from all sides.

The right side of the issue

Before you start moving to action, you need to settle the legal side of the business. Since mushrooms are food, some issues should be settled with the state before the mushroom farm opens. This business requires the registration of its activities and the provision of data to the tax service. You can act as an individual entrepreneur, according to the OKVED code - A.01.12.31. After that, you need to choose a tax system. In this case, it will be enough to choose a single agricultural tax.

Next, you need to visit several structures. For starters, you can go to the fire inspectorate for a permit. Next, you need to confirm the quality of the products, for which it is necessary to send a batch of mushrooms for analysis. If everything is in order, the laboratory issues a quality certificate with which you can start yourbusiness.

Only a number of documents still need to be issued, one of them is a license that gives the right to sell mushrooms. The other document is the phytosanitary certificate. Also, it does not hurt to get instructions for storing and transporting products.

Selection of raw materials

An extremely important step in the business is the selection of raw materials from which mushrooms are grown on a mushroom farm. For this purpose, mycelium is used, or, as it is also called, mycelium. This basic seed can usually be purchased at almost any mushroom farm. However, if you already have experience, then you can grow it on your own.

When purchasing the so-called licensed seed, first of all, you need to make sure of its quality. A good mycelium is white in color, emits a pleasant mushroom smell and does not have any spots on it. It will not be superfluous to ask the seller about the availability of a license, which he must have.

The second necessary raw material is the substrate - it is on it that mushrooms grow. It can also be made by yourself. For this, straw (wheat, rye, barley), flax pit and corn stalks can be included in the composition. And in order for the mushroom farm to produce more crops, you can add the following components:

• sawdust;
• chips;
• tree bark;
• chaff and other household waste.

When making your own substrate, the main thing is to make sure that the raw materials used are environmentally friendly. Otherwise, you can suffer large crop losses, and the quality of mushrooms due tofor the presence of various chemicals will leave the best.

Buying a ready-made substrate from different manufacturers, you can be sure that up to 2 kg of mushrooms can be grown from 10 kg of raw materials. Of course, subject to all the necessary conditions for their cultivation. Just keep in mind that this amount of substrate is equivalent to the cost of 1 kg of mushrooms at the wholesale price.

Champignons and oyster mushrooms

Before you open your business, you need to know its specifics. The mushroom farm is no exception; champignons are distinguished by increased requirements for development conditions. For the substrate on which mushrooms will be grown, it is best to use wheat straw. First, it must be well dried, chopped and soaked in water. Since the straw absorbs it perfectly, the following proportion should be taken: 2.5 parts of liquid per 1 part of straw. After that, you need to add manure or chicken manure to the wet straw and leave the compost to mature. This usually takes two weeks, and special aerated containers are used to allow air to enter.

This compost is ideal for growing a rich crop of champignons and oyster mushrooms. But due to the laborious work on its creation, it is not used for the latter, since you can get by with a simpler option - a substrate.

Room

Finding and choosing the right premises is important for a business like a mushroom farm, champignons require optimal conditions for development. Already experienced entrepreneurs inIn this case, preference is given to cultivation chambers in which the necessary microclimate conditions are maintained. At the same time, even the level of carbon dioxide content can vary, depending on the stage of development of fungi.

But novice businessmen may well opt for a greenhouse, basement or barn. The selected room must be equipped with ventilation and heating systems. The temperature should be kept in the region of 12-16, but not more than 25 degrees. It is extremely important to ensure a high level of humidity - up to 80 or 90%. For a small room, it is not difficult to maintain it; it is enough to irrigate the bags with the substrate. But if large-scale production is planned, then air conditioners and air humidifiers cannot be dispensed with.

Also, the construction of a mushroom farm implies the presence of electrical wiring in the premises and an uninterrupted supply of water. Care must be taken to remove its excess.

Regarding the dimensions, here it is worth considering the scale of production. For starters, you can choose a room with an area of 15 to 20 square meters. m. However, if in the future it is planned to expand production, then the room must be chosen in advance more spacious. It can be purchased or rented. It all depends on the size of the initial investment. If there is enough money, then it is better to buy the premises immediately, otherwise the rent remains.

In addition to the main working area, the room must provide space for storage and pasteurization of the substrate. To this end, it is better to make separate rooms for convenience.

Equipment

The issue of arranging the premises directly depends on what kind of crop the mushroom farm will grow. Oyster mushrooms in this regard are unpretentious mushrooms, and champignons need certain conditions. In terms of technical equipment, the list should include the following equipment:

• refrigerator;
• humidifiers;
• heaters;
• steam generators.

When growing oyster mushrooms, you will also need bags where they will grow. To collect mushrooms, you can use wooden or plastic boxes. Purchased raw materials, especially straw, must undergo heat treatment. For this purpose, steam generators are purchased in which the pasteurization procedure takes place. If there is little natural light in the room, then you should take care of purchasing fluorescent lamps.

Hiring staff

It is worth noting that mushroom farms in Russia require personnel, as one entrepreneur cannot cope with such a business, no matter how hard he tries. Therefore, for the prosperity of the business and in order to avoid losses, it is necessary to think about hiring workers.

There are no special requirements for future staff, since in our country they do not teach the basics of mushroom science. The only prerequisite for hiring employees is that they have a he alth book. As in any other job, candidates are encouraged to have no bad habits, conscientiousness, and honesty. If desired, you can attract a specialist in this field, onlyhis salary will be higher than usual. As an option, offer a percentage of the sale of mushrooms.

How many people will work on the farm, directly depends on the volume of grown products. If the planned volume involves growing up to 50-100 kg of mushrooms per day, then two people will do an excellent job. If the volume is more - 200-300 kg daily, then the staff should be increased to 3 or 4 people.

But these people will work directly with mushrooms. Therefore, it is recommended to hire two workers or one person to prepare the substrate. Another one will deal with sales issues. If an entrepreneur does not understand anything in financial matters, then an accountant should be hired.

Product sales

When developing a business plan, it is important to include a point of sale for mushrooms. The main consumers can be found among:

• supermarkets;
• markets;
• wholesale buyers;
• shops;
• restaurants and canteens.

From the point of view of optimal implementation, wholesale buyers are of the greatest interest. This allows you to sell large quantities of products, which has a positive effect on profit growth.

But it is worth considering that the wholesale price is lower than the market price of mushrooms. But, at the same time, the risk of damage to the goods is significantly reduced. And in order to slightly reduce the cost of transporting mushrooms, production facilities should be located in close proximity to the city.

Calculation of profitability

Financial parta plan that includes expenses and likely income should also be provided. Among the expenses will be the following items:

• Rent - from 12 to 13 thousand rubles/month
• The cost of raw materials is about 80 thousand rubles.
• Salary for workers - 35 thousand rubles/month
• Utility payments - from 9 to 10 thousand rubles.
• Transportation of raw materials and finished products - from 16 to 17 thousand rubles.

The planned profit, if we subtract the mushroom farm equipment and the listed expenses, will be 300 thousand rubles. per month. If we take into account one-time contributions to the opening of the enterprise, then the payback of the business will take six months.