Joint venture producer enters Australia's mushroom market
Joint venture company, Parwan Valley Mushrooms Pty Ltd, is producing some 50 tonnes of commodity mushrooms a week from its 9,800 square metre growing surface, high-tech mushroom farm.
The facility was designed and constructed by the world’s largest supplier of turnkey mushroom farms, Christiaens Group, of Holland. The enclosed purpose-built facility features a sophisticated multiple climate control system designed and installed by Dutch company, Fancom, and a fully automated under-bed irrigation system.
Parwan Valley Mushrooms will produce approximately 2,600 tonnes of predominately white agaricus bisporus mushrooms a year including buttons, cups and flats.
Parwan Valley Mushrooms chief executive officer, Tim Adlington, said the facility, which was considered a medium-sized farm in a global sense, incorporated leading 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. However, regional Victorian companies were contracted to provide associated infrastructure including earthworks, plumbing and electrical requirements during construction,” Mr Adlington said.
“Our objective is to produce and sell mushrooms grown with the latest in technology. These will be healthy, pure, natural mushrooms.”
The mushrooms are produced in an industrial building with a 7,000 square metre footprint. Constructed of steel and external cladding, it features industry-standard internal sandwich panelling to optimise insulation.
Mr Adlington said the facility was among the first mushroom farms in Australia to install under-bed irrigation which superceded manual overhead drip irrigation systems widely used in large-scale global mushroom production.
“The watering system will control the flow of water to the crop between flushes by adjusting the moisture content in the growing beds accordingly,” he said.
Twelve growing rooms of approximately 25 metres in length, each have four rows of aluminium shelving to house the 820 square metre mushroom beds. Approximately 40 adjustable platforms on rolling trolleys installed throughout the growing rooms will enable harvesters to pick the crop safely and efficiently.
For more information:
Mr Tim Adlington
Parwan Mushrooms Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 3 5369 5233