BackMushroom Cultivation: Create New Income

In 2018, MedcoEnergi successfully researched that straw mushrooms grown on unused oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) in South Sumatra are safe for consumption. Based on this research, the company initiated a mushroom cultivation program to provide local communities with an additional income source. The program began with training sessions at the LIPI Research Center in Subang, West Java, where participants learned to prepare growing media, propagate spawn, construct mushroom houses, and harvest the mushrooms.

Additionally, the groups received training in mushroom processing at Rumah Jejamuran in Yogyakarta. This program incorporates biotechnology innovations, such as spraying organic liquid fertilizer on the growing media, which has proven to enhance production at the end of the growing cycle. Currently, the groups are harvesting 20 kg of mushrooms per day during the planting season, with a market price of IDR 25,000 per kilogram. This initiative not only fosters new business opportunities but also contributes to environmental preservation by utilizing oil palm waste.