$10m mushroom facility opens in Victoria

A $10 million purpose-built mushroom facility was recently opened at Parwan, west of Melbourne. Fresh food producer Perfection Fresh Australia and asset management company Mecrus have partnered to form Parwan Valley Mushrooms, which will produce 50 tonnes of commodity mushrooms a week.

The facility was designed and constructed by Christiaens Group, the world’s largest supplier of turnkey mushroom farms, and features a multiple climate control system and a fully automated under-bed irrigation system.

Parwan Valley Mushrooms will produce about 2600 tonnes of mushrooms a year, mostly white Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, including buttons, cups and flats.

According to Parwan Valley Mushrooms CEO Tim Adlington, the facility is considered a medium-sized farm in a global sense, but incorporates cutting-edge mushroom farm technology.

“The world’s most advanced mushroom farm technology, design and construction expertise resides in Holland. Australia does not have the specific design and construction expertise to deliver this type of facility,” Adlington said. “However, regional Victorian companies were contracted to provide associated infrastructure including earthworks, plumbing and electrical requirements during construction.”

Michael Simonetta, CEO of Perfection Fresh, said Mecrus ran a feasibility study that showed mushroom production in Australia is a significant horticultural opportunity.

“There has been an upside in the demand curve for mushrooms Australia-wide in recent years due to a combination of factors, including effective promotion of the mushroom category by the Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association (AMGA) and growing general awareness about the health benefits and versatility of mushrooms,” Simonetta said.

“Demand continues to exceed supply for most of the year and we believe the market is well placed to accommodate Parwan Valley Mushrooms’ products, which will account for approximately 6 to 7% of total Australian production in its first year.”