DOST Aklan holds Mushroom Production Training for Lorri Agrarian Reform Cooperative

With the aim of gaining knowledge in mushroom culture, workers from Lorri Agrarian Reform Cooperative attended a two-day training on mushroom production by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Aklan in Libacao, Aklan, March 15 and 16.

The training, requested by Lorri Agrarian Reform Cooperative, helped equip the company with skills which will be used in making new products, creating livelihood for its members, and repurposing their abaca fiber wastes.

The training was conducted by Ms. Devorah P. Manzanares, an accredited expert of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) VI, who has more than 15 years of experience and practical skills in the herbs, vegetables, and mushroom farming sector.

The first day’s morning session covered the fundamentals of mushroom production such as orientation on mushroom culture, the different types of mushrooms, its health benefits, the materials needed, the quick procedure on how to cultivate mushrooms, and the various products that can be made from mushrooms.

The afternoon session involved demonstrations by Manzanares followed by practice for the participants which tackled grain spawn preparation, pure culture and tissue culture preparation, preparation of fruiting bags with sterilization.

Moreover, the second day saw more demonstrations and subsequent practicing of pure culture inoculation/tissue culture to grains, and planting of spawn to fruiting bags.

As of this writing, Lorri Agrarian Reform Cooperative is set for another follow-up mushroom production training.

Currently, the firm is led by chairman Dante N. Zubiaga with support from manager Nelia Rome, who requested the training, and specializes in abaca trading and selling tablea products.

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