Folk double income with mushrooms

PETER Pablito, an operator of a small-scale mining tunnel in Ucab, Itogon, Benguet has now doubled his family income after venturing into mushroom production introduced by Benguet Corporation.

In an interview, Pablito said the income he is generating from what he first thought to be just a “sideline” is about equal now with what he is deriving from his main livelihood small-scale mining, considering how thriving the industry of mining is at present.

Pablito related that after finishing their training sometime July last year, he readily tried applying what he learned, starting with 800 fruiting bags that he prepared in an enclosed structure beside his house. Two months after, he started selling his produce.

Though what he is harvesting is still small in volume, he was able to network with his trainer, who is supplying him with additional mushroom fruits, which made him sell an average of 400 kilos a month.

Buoyed by this development and the potential for an even bigger profit, he is now targeting more areas in his backyard from which to propagate mushrooms.

Pablito is just one among the local residents who put into good use the mushroom growing livelihood training that they received from BenguetCorp and are now benefitting from it. A women’s group in Poblacion, Itogon, who are part of the first batch who took advantage of the free training, continue to sustain and expand their commercial production for almost two years now.

All of the program beneficiaries underwent hands-on training at the mining company’s Mushroom House and an educational tour/farm visit to the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija, which specializes on mushroom production.

BenguetCorp, through its Social Development and Management Program, has made mushroom growing the main focus of its livelihood initiative for its host and neighboring communities.

A sample of the mushroom harvest of Peter Pablito of Ucab, Itogon, Benguet, who has now become an entrepreneur after undergoing mushroom livelihood training from Benguet Corporation. (PR)