PADANG TERAP, KEDAH: Rubber smallholders, Mr. Ismail bin Ibrahim, planting volvariela mushrooms or scientific name 'volvariela volvace' using empty oil palm fruit bunches as planting media.

Mr Ismail, 62, who started the volvariela mushroom cultivation under rubber plantations eco-system for the past three years, until this has collected about 10-30 kilograms a day of mushroom which market price around RM15 per kilogram.

 "The empty fruits bunches of oil palm are needs to be washed before used," he said when interviewed by the Institute of Plantation Study (IKP) officer.

The mushrooms cultivate using technology obtained from the Department of Agriculture Padang Terap, Kedah. Mr Ismail said although the mushroom was still unfamiliar to the locals, the first attempt was successful, but it is now increasingly in demand.

He said 20 years of working experience with sugar plantations was used to make the project especially the mushroom market hit RM15-RM20 per kilogram.

He said he received advisory and equipment incentives from the department of agriculture and wanted more involvement among rubber smallholders to be given the opportunity to earn the crop thus earning an additional income of up to RM3000 a month.

Date of Input: 15/04/2019 | Updated: 15/04/2019 | ainzubaidah