Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 8 (2008): 93 - 99

SHORT NOTE [NOTA CORTA]

ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF MUSHROOMS CULTIVATION TO POVERTY

REDUCTION IN BANGLADESH

Tropical and [VIABILIDAD ECONÓMICA DEL CULTIVO DE HONGOS COMESTIBLES

PARA LA REDUCCIÓN DE LA POBREZA EN BANGLADESH]
Subtropical Ahmed Imtiaj1 and Syed Ajijur Rahman2*

Agroecosystems 1
Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh.
1
Department of Biology, University of Incheon, Incheon 402-749, Korea.
2
Department of Sociology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
2
Poverty Environment Network (PEN), Center for International Forestry Research
(CIFIR),Jl Cifor, Situ Gede,Sindangbarang, Bogor Barat 16680, Indonesia.
E-mail: [email protected]
*Corresponding author

SUMMARY RESUMEN

Mushroom is an important vegetable usually grows Los hongos comestibles son un product comestible que
in the forest with its nutritive and medicinal value. generalmente crece en los bisques y cuenta con valor
It can also be cultivated domestically in a small medicinal y nutritive. También pueden ser cultivados
scale by landless people. The climate of Bangladesh domestivamente a pequeña escala por gente sin acceso
is highly favourable for high volume of mushroom a tierras de cultivo. El clima de Bangladesh es favorable
production. The cultivation of mushroom is one of para la producción a escala de hongos. Su cultivo es una
the lucrative agricultural job. In our study the actividad agrícola lucrativa. Este estudio encontró que
profitability of mushroom cultivation was found la rentabilidad del cultivo de hongos es mayor que el
comparatively higher than that of rice and wheat, cultivo de arroz y trigo (cultivos con alta rentabilidad en
the most popular cash earning crops in Bangladesh. Bangladesh). Debido a que los fondos para la
As funding to promote the production and promoción de la producción y consumo de hongos son
consumption of mushrooms is limited, local limitados, la participación de los gobiernos locales y
government and NGOs can play vital role to ONG’s es vital para desarrollar la producción de
develop mushroom agriculture to arise at industrial hongos a escala industrial, lo que crearía mayores
level which can create ample employment oportunidades de empleo tanto en área rurales como
opportunities both in semi-urban and rural areas. peri-urbanas. Los resultados sugieren que el cultivo de
This result suggests that the potential of mushroom hongos es una oferta potencial para reducir la pobreza y
cultivation could be a possible offer to alleviate mejorar el nivel de vida de la población vulnerable en
poverty and develop the life style of the vulnerable Bangladesh.
people in Bangladesh.
Palabras clave: Análisis económico, empleo, valor del
Keywords: Economic analysis, Employment, Food alimento, cultivo de hongos comestibles, pobreza.
value, Mushroom cultivation, Poverty

INTRODUCTION may increase from 158.66 million in 2006 to 206.02

million in 2025 and annual growth rate is 1.7 percent
Bangladesh is an agriculture based developing country (ESCAP, 2007). Reduced income coupled with
and about 84% of the population is directly or indirectly increased expenditure on healthcare in a country
engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities (GOB, already facing stiff economic challenges has worsened
2007). Population density of this country is the highest the poverty situation. Due to the frequency of natural
in the world is suffering from protein malnutrition with calamities and livestock diseases in this part of the
high proportion of poverty. According to recent world as well as the high cost of conventional
estimates, 49.8 percent population lives under the agricultural production, the people of Bangladesh are
poverty line (UNDP, 2006). Population of Bangladesh anxious to develop an alternative source of protein with

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a high potential income generation. In this situation

mushroom cultivation could be the potential offer of Spawn: The spawn of mushroom is like seed is to
solution to poverty reduction. Although knowledge and crop. Unlike spore, spawn is already at its mycelial
production level are still limited in Bangladesh, yet stage growing on its own substrate such as sawdust.
mushroom has focused much interest in the past few The life cycle of mushroom starts from spores, but
years. One might say that the different NGO’s and growers inoculate mycelial origin spawn rather than
farms have literally cultivated mushrooms here recently. spore origin spawn because of possible variations and
It is hoped that the new hut industry of mushroom mutations. The quality of spawn is one of the most
cultivation in Bangladesh will soon provide an critical factors for successful crop. Therefore, growers
important tool for income generation and the creation of need to use qualified spawn for commercial
food security for thousands of households. Unlike other production. Spawn maintains the strain characteristics
agronomic crops, the set-up, costs-benefits and space and is propagated by subcultures. The various types of
for mushroom cultivation are recommendable. mushroom spawn include grain, sawdust, plug and
Fertilizers, machinery and pesticides are not much used, liquid.
the market price is relatively high and profit margins for
mushroom crops can be considerably higher than Substrate: Mushrooms can be classified as 3
traditional crops. In general the project takes very little categories by their tropic pattern; saprophytes,
space and can produce returns within a short period of parasites or mycorrhizae. The most commonly grown
time. Bangladeshi farmers who are using local varieties mushrooms are saprophytes, decomposers in an
of seed can grow rice and wheat crops that take an ecosystem growing on organic matters like wood,
average of four months to reach harvest maturity. This leaves and straw in nature. Raw materials can be used
time period is equivalent to at least two crops of as substrate for primary decomposers such as oyster
mushrooms cultivation. Considering this scenario, the mushroom which have lignocellulosic enzymes. On
relative profitability of these three crops can be the other hand, secondary decomposers like button
compared even the input costs of mushrooms enterprise mushroom or straw mushroom require substrate
were to be doubled and would still remain more degraded by bacteria or other fungi. Mushroom
profitable than that of either rice or wheat. Therefore, requires carbon, nitrogen and inorganic compounds as
potential mushrooms cultivation may play an active role its nutritional sources and the main nutrients are
to employment generation and thus alleviate poverty. carbon sources such as cellulose, hemicellulose and
The main objective of this study is to focus on lignin. Thus, most organic matters containing
alternative job opportunities which could be potential cellulose, hemicellulose or lignin can be used as
income source as well as to prove the economic mushroom substrate. Examples are cotton, cottonseed
viability of mushroom cultivation and how does it hull, corncob, sugarcane waste, sawdust, and so on.
may play to alleviate poverty in Bangladesh. However, demanded amount of each nutritional source
differs according to mushroom species. For example,
MATERIALS AND METHODS oyster mushroom and shiitake require less nitrogen
and more carbon source but button mushroom
Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) requires relatively high nitrogen
source. Mushroom mycelia secrete digestive enzymes
Mushroom is any of various fleshy fungi, into the substrate and absorb the dissolved nutrients.
characteristically having an umbrella-shaped cap borne Cellulose, the main nutritional source of mushroom is
on a stalk grows usually in the forest. ‘Mushroom’ is one of the most abundant organic matters on earth, but
not a taxonomic category. The term ‘mushroom’ is ‘a its digestive enzyme, cellulase is owned by several
macro-fungus with a distinctive fruiting body, which microorganisms including fungi. Mushroom is also
can be either hypogeous or epigeous, large enough to be influenced by acidity of substrate. The optimal pH
seen with the naked eye and to be picked by hand’ value of substrate ranges from 6 to 8, varying with
(Chang and Miles, 1992). From a biological taxonomic mushroom species.
point of view, mainly basidiomycetes but also some
species of mushrooms belong to ascomycetes. The Environment: The last important factor for
number of mushroom species on the earth is estimated mushroom growing is providing an appropriate
to be 140000 and only 10% are known. The proportion environment both for vegetative and reproductive
of useful mushrooms among the undiscovered and growth. Not being protected by a skin layer, fungi are
unexamined mushrooms may be 5%, which can be of easily affected by their growing conditions. So it can
possible benefit to mankind (Hawksworth, 2001). be said that the success or failure of mushroom
cultivation depends on the control of growing
Important factors of mushroom cultivation conditions. Environmental factors affecting mushroom

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cultivation include temperature, humidity, light and and actual costs and benefits of mushroom, rice and
ventilation. Optimal levels of them at vegetative stage wheat cultivation. Focus group discussion (FGD) and
differ from those at reproductive stage. Mushroom observation were also carried out in order to determine
mycelia can survive between 5 and 40oC depending on the motivation and capacities of both cultivation
the species. Mushroom mycelia grow well with the practices. Other data were gathered by way of
temperature range between 20 and 30 oC. Substrate interviews with key informants (Government, non-
moisture content should be 60-75% and log moisture government, public organizations, books and daily
content, 35-45%. During fruiting, different relative newspaper) and market prospecting. The secondary
humidity levels, ranging from 80-95%, are needed at the data were used from statistical yearbooks, local
early, mid and latter stage. Though mycelia like dark to administrative and various related sources. For many
grow but some species require light for fruiting body elements of the study (cultivation practices, actual cost
formation. Being aerobic fungi, mushrooms need fresh and benefit etc.), semi-quantitative analysis was carried
air during growing and ventilation is more required for out for mushroom and other crops (rice and wheat)
reproductive stage. In conclusion, among the three cultivation at the household level.
factors, the most important is environmental control. By
maintaining optimal conditions at each growing stage RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
and for each species, growers can produce the desired
yield of quality mushrooms. The economic analysis of mushroom production was
calculated. The production cost of first and second
Mushroom cultivation method in Bangladesh round was tk. 20,000.00 (including house cost) and
tk.10,700.00 (excluding house cost), respectively.
There are many methods of mushroom cultivation but Average net profit of first and second round was
bag cultivation, bottle cultivation, log cultivation and measured tk. 10,000.00 and tk. 19,300.00, respectively.
shelf cultivation are usually common. Rice straw, After 4 months, average net profit was tk. 29,300.00
wheat straw, sugarcane waste, banana leaves, grass where total investment was tk. 20,000.00 because the
and sawdust are the major fibrous residues important income earned from first round can be used to cultivate
for mushroom cultivation substrates. The pasteurized second round (Table 1). The profitability of rice, wheat
substrate is usually spawned and packed into and mushroom was also evaluated and found that
polythene bags of about 30cm wide and 60~90cm mushroom cultivation is the lucrative one. We
long for the bag culture of the oyster mushroom. The considered one acre of land for rice and wheat
growing rooms are maintained at between 18 oC ~ 25 cultivation, and 30′×18′ in size growing house for
o
C, with a relative humidity of about 75%. Although mushroom cultivation. After four months, the net
up to 6 flushes may be obtained from each bag, the income of rice and wheat were tk.12,240.00 and
first three are the most important in commercial tk.24,360.00 where total cost were tk.11,760.00 and
production. For every 10kg of dry substrate used, as tk.7,640.00, respectively. Within the same time the cost
much as 20kg of mushroom can be harvested from the and benefit of mushroom was tk. 30,700.00 and
first 3~4 flushes. At least 2~3kg are usually harvested tk.29,300.00, respectively. Interestingly within this four
per bag. During the cooler winter season, Pleurotus months period mushroom was cultivated two times
ostreatus is cultivated while the more heat tolerant P. where average production cost and benefit was
sajor-caju is produced in summer. The button tk.20,000.00 and tk.10,000.00 for the first round (costs
mushroom, most often grown by well-financed including house), and tk.10,700.00 and tk.19,300.00 for
growers, is the main export mushroom. For button the second round (costs excluding house), respectively
mushroom cultivation, wheat straw and cow manure (Table 1 and 2). The relative profitability of these three
are mixed and used as substrate. Some farmers add crops can be focused as the mushroom cultivation is
inorganic fertilizers and/or peat. Cultivation is carried more profitable. In Zimbabwe farmers have been
out in trays. Lower temperatures of about 18 oC need benefited more by growing mushroom than maize and
to be maintained and diseases and pests must be wheat. The net income of mushroom, maize and wheat
closely monitored. The expenses and requirements for are ZWD 1703000.00, ZWD 518500.00 and ZWD
strict management of the growing room have restricted 1140000.00, respectively (MushWorld, 2004). This
the number of newcomers going into button result is quite similar to our findings. To the aim of
mushroom production. poverty reduction in Bangladesh, mushroom cultivation
could be potential job. Because Bangladesh is located in
Data collection a tropical monsoon climate which is ideally considered
for high elevation of mushroom production. Mushroom
Research methods were used as structured interviews cultivation can be popular to income generation among
of 60 households focused especially on experiences the women in Bangladesh because of its suitability to

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their works and life style. As they are especially reduction among the vulnerable groups like women
responsible for household works and taking care of are especially encouraged. In this context, an
their children, thus they can easily accommodate their assistance of the local government is important for the
time for mushroom cultivation. This product is highly development of mushroom industry which can create
nutritious and a good food for their children and the job opportunities both in semi-urban and rural areas.
older as well. They also obtain some money from this Here we assumed a project how farmers will pay their
product because of its high economic value. They can loan. Our findings indicate that the growing set-up,
utilize the agricultural waste, and thus mushroom costs-benefits and space for mushroom cultivation are
cultivation can improve the life of many poor families recommendable as well as pay back of loan is easier
in Bangladesh. Cultivation of mushrooms is labor- than other crops. According to estimate of Table 3, the
intensive for the countries where jobs are rare. In fact, loan tk. 20,000.00 with interest will be fully paid after
some technologies can use family labor thus providing four months which is difficult for other crops. In the
employment for all of the family members. estimated project, one mushroom grower can produce
about 5~6 crops, 3 tons per year on average. Therefore,
Unfortunately, funding to promote the production and he can earn tk. 73,250.00~87,900.00 (USD 1098.70 ~
consumption of mushrooms is limited in Bangladesh. 1318.14) per year.
But the potential of mushroom cultivation to poverty

Table 1. Economic analysis of mushroom production (USD 1= BDT 66.67)

Item Quantity Cost in BDT Cost in USD

Straw for 200 bags 800 kg (4 kg/bag) 2,000.00 30.00
Spawn (250g/bottle) 100 bottles (BDT 25/bottle) 2,500.00 37.50
Plastic bags large and small in size 1,000.00 15.00
Chemicals 1,000.00 15.00
Labor (30 days) BDT 80/day 2,400.00 36.00
Miscellaneous 10% of total cost 1,800.00 27.00
House 30 feet × 18 feet 9,300.00 139.50
Total Production Cost (1st round*, with house cost) 20,000.00 300.00
Total Production Cost (2nd round, without house cost) 1,0700.00 160.00
Total Income (each round) 24,000.00-36,000.00 360.00-540.00
Net Profit (1st round) 4,000.00-16,000.00 60.00-240.00
Net Profit (2nd round) 13,300.00-25,300.00 200.00-380.00
Average Net Profit/4 months 29,300.00 440.00
Production cost in BDT is calculated based on the highest round figure of money, *Each round takes 2 months, one month
for growing and another month for harvest. Total Production: 400-600 kg/2 months (2-3 kg/bag). Price: BDT
60.00/kg

Table 2. Compared profitability of rice, wheat and oyster mushroom in Bangladesh

Item Rice Wheat Oyster Mushroom

Expected yield/ 4 months 2.4 ton /acre 1.6 ton /acre 1 ton (500 kg/2 months)
Average price 24,000.00 32,000.00 60,000.00
Total costs 11,760.00 7,640.00 30,700.00
Net income 12,240.00 24,360.00 29,300.00
Labor (BDT 80/day) 4,160.00 2,040.00
Land preparation 1,800.00 1,500.00
Seed (rice 30 and wheat 40 kg) 600.00 1,200.00
Fertilizer/Lime 1,000.00 1,200.00 (Production cost is shown in
Insecticides 500.00 300.00 Table 1)
Transport 200.00 200.00
Irrigation 3,000.00 700.00
Miscellaneous 500.00 500.00
Compared profitability of rice, wheat (1 acre land/4 months) and oyster mushroom (30′ × 18′ size house/4 months) is
considered in BDT

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Table 3. Financial aspect of the project for mushroom cultivation (USD1= BDT 66.67)

Total amount of loan BDT 20,000.00 $ 300.00

1. Total cost
- Growing house (made up of local materials, wooden shelves) BDT 9,300.00 $ 140.00
-Production cost BDT 10,700.00 $ 160.00
2. Estimated income per 2 month (average)
-Total production per 2 month 500 kg (total production - loss 500 kg
during handling, storage and delivery) (excluding damage)
-Net sales per 2 month BDT 30,000.00 $ 450.00
(total production × price per kg) (500 kg × BDT 60)
3. Pay back of loan (for 4 months)
BDT 10,000.00
-Collection per 2 month to pay back loan (33.34% of income) $ 150.00
(BDT 30,000.00/3)
nd
If 35~40% of 2 round’s income is collected the loan and interest will be fully paid back for 4 months

Su Decheng, a mushroom scientist, who lived in can therefore make a very important contribution to
poverty during 16 years of his life in China, human nutrition. Based on this theme we presented here
committed to help his countrymen out of poverty trap a comparative chart of nutritional value between shiitake
by studying mushroom. In 1989, he started a project to mushroom (Lentinula edodes) and other foods taken
help people how they grow mushrooms for self– from MushWorld 2005. The caloric value of 100g of
sufficiency in the poverty-stricken areas of China. dried shiitake is higher than 100g of raw potatoes (66
Using his knowledge and experience he involved 20 kcal) and beef loin (224 kcal), but lower than that of
students from mushroom science to train the local whole wheat and brown rice (328 and 350 kcal). The
people how to grow mushroom on sawdust. They protein content of dried shiitake is comparable to that of
established a mushroom farm to demonstrate the local chicken and beef but the fat count is much lower and the
people how mushrooms could be cultivated. In dietary fiber count is considerably higher than those
another location in China there were 70,000 people in meats. It contains enough sugar (59 mg) that is the
14,000 rural families living below the poverty line nearest of rice and wheat. In addition to dietary fiber,
with annual income of less than CNY15300 (USD dried shiitake contains higher contents of calcium (Ca),
36.01). The land here was unfertile, producing only iron (Fe), vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3
scrub wood and little grain. In 1989, Su and his (niacin). But it does not contain vitamins A and C
students trained them how to grow mushrooms, (Table 4).
resulting average annual income per capita increased
CNY 1800.00 (USD 216.09) in 1993, six times higher Mushroom is used as delicious item of our food menu
than 1989 when the project was first started. Three containing both nutritive and medicinal values (Agrahar-
quarters of their income came from mushroom Murugkar et al., 2005; Cheung and Cheung, 2005).
cultivation. This interesting report demonstrates the Shiitake contains almost all the essential amino acids,
incredible impact of mushroom cultivation may have with lysine and arginine being particularly abundant
in China. More than a dozen such successful story of (Liu and Bau, 1980), and methionine and
mushroom cultivation in China are quoted by Wu phenylalanine less abundant (Lasota and Sylwestrzak,
(2000). 1989). In laboratory analysis it was found that amino
acids, protein, glycogen, lipids, ascorbic acid, and
Mushrooms have long been favored by Asian people as total ash contents increased as the fruiting body
food stuff in soup. Now a day mushrooms are found in developed. Based on these findings, it may be
markets throughout America, Europe, Asia as well as desirable to consume fully mature fruiting bodies for
Africa. Popularity of mushrooms is ever increasing maximum nutritional value. Shiitake contains dietary
throughout every part of the world because of its exotic fiber in the ratio of 6.7g per 100g of dried shiitake,
flavor and their culinary properties whether eaten alone which is a figure much higher than that for brown rice
or in combination with other foods. But until now, it is (0.2g), and sweet potatoes (0.9g).
not well known that mushrooms are full of nutrients and

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Table 4. Constituents of shiitake mushroom (Oak) and other food sources (*Dry, **Fresh).

Energy Protein Fat Carbo. (mg) Minerals (mg) Vitamins (mg)

Food source B1 B2 B3
(Kcal) (g) (g) sugar fiber Ca Fe
Shiitake* 272 18.1 3.1 57 6.7 19 3.3 0.48 1.57 19
Shiitake** 27 2 0.3 5.4 0.7 6 0.6 0.08 0.23 4.0
Chicken 180 19.0 10.6 0.1 - 11 1.1 0.20 0.21 2.7
Beef 224 17.5 15.9 0.2 - 15 1.6 0.07 0.23 4.3
Potato 66 2.5 - 14.4 0.2 04 0.6 0.20 0.06 1.0
Rice 350 7.6 2.1 74.4 2.7 06 0.7 0.23 0.008 3.6
Wheat 328 12 2.9 69 2.5 71 3.2 0.34 0.11 5.0
Source: Mushroom growers handbook-2, MushWorld 2005 (table is modified)
100g edible portion of dried/fresh shiitake mushroom and same amount of other food sources.

Dietary fiber prevents constipation, obesity, diabetes, CONCLUSION

hypertension, colon cancer and arteriosclerosis by
lowering cholesterol level. The high amount of ergo- Mushroom production is the most appropriate job for
sterol in fresh shiitake makes dried shiitake an the poor landless both men and women farmers in
important vitamin D source because ergo-sterol Bangladesh. Mushrooms can be grown in the small
converts to vitamin D2 in the presence of sunlight. space of a farmer’s own house for small scale
Exposure of shiitake to direct sunlight for 3 hours/day production and generate income that aids in the
increases the vitamin D2 content up to 5 times. Sunlight family support. Mushroom cultivation is a most
exposure also increases the free amino acid content popular activity for development programs targeting
which is about 2,180 mg/dl in the dry fruiting bodies, income generation among women in Bangladesh
and it makes them sweeter and less bitter (Kiribuchi, because it is suitable for the women’s life style. The
1991). product is highly nutritive and a good food for their
children and old parents, and because of its high
Eating mushroom can prevent various vitamin B and D economic value they can also earn some income
deficiencies including beri-beri2 (thiamin); cheilosis3, from the production. In many areas of Bangladesh
glossitis4, corneal vascularization5, Seborrheic farmers have grown mushrooms in a small scale and
dermatitis6, nerve tissue damage (riboflavin); abnormal have benefited directly. They have managed to adopt
growth in infants and children (niacin); and rickets7 the technology in a simpler way whereby they can
(vitamin D). Vitamin D boosts calcium absorption and afford to invest in a small scale. They are mainly
thus plays an important role in bone formation. utilizing the agricultural waste mainly wheat and
Mushrooms are not only sources of nutrients but have paddy straw. Thus, mushroom cultivation may
also been reported as therapeutic foods, useful in reduce poverty and improved the life style of many
preventing diseases such as hypertension, poor farmers in Bangladesh.
hypercholesterolemia and cancer (Bobek and Galbavy,
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Submitted August 16, 2007 – Accepted December 18, 2007

Revised received December 22, 2007

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