“Growing mushroom needs hard work and diligence before realizing a profit from its in the end” - a successful mushroom grower from Mallig, Isabela said.

Cerilo Sumajit, presently the President of KABUTE-han ng Malligueñong Magsasaka shared his experience and success story in growing mushrooms right in his backyard, on his first try.

He acquired skills in mushroom production through a series of training and lectures conducted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) region 2.

“At first, I tried 300 polypropylene fruiting bags for mushroom growing to start my business utilizing the Sari-Sari store makeshift of my mother. I told her to temporarily stop her sari-sari store business for a while,” Sumajit said.

He said a mushroom grower or farmer must be diligent and hardworking, with wide imagination and determination to succeed what one have started as source of income or livelihood.

Several months later, his mushroom business expanded from 2,000 to 14,000 fruiting bags in his production area.

“The mushroom I produce is now known to the market, so I now have bulk orders. There is a need to expand my mushroom production to catch up with the orders from other municipalities, outside the province and abroad” Sumajit said.

Sumajit acknowledged the assistance provided by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture for the marketing of the mushroom he produce. 

His skills is also shared to others as he organized mushroom produces in his community to help unemployed earn for their daily needs.

With the marketing already expanded locally and abroad, there are now regular orders with an average of 1,000 kilos daily. 

Aside from the raw mushroom, he and his fellow growers experimented processing  the stem which can be made into mushroom-balls and kikiam.

The KABUTE-han ng Malligueñong Magsasaka also have regular orders from Pangasinan of up to 7,000 kilos in a week for a mushroom-balls and kikiam business.

“With the rising orders of mushroom to the organization, I encourage my fellow mushroom growers in the town to also increase their productions to accommodate the bulk orders,” Sumajit said.

He thanked the DA- RFO-2 for encouraging him to engage in mushroom production and the training that the agency have provided because the skills he acquired has already been applied in his livelihood and business.

Cerilo Sumajit now is also sharing the mushroom techonology he acquired to to other interested individuals on mushroom production either for family consumption or for business. #(OTB/MGE/PIA Isabela)