The Department of Agriculture (DA) is advancing its import substitution policy by supporting the investment of Basic Necessity Inc., a Filipino-owned company behind the highly automated and modern enoki mushroom production facility in Silang, Cavite. The first-of-its-kind venture funded purely by the private sector was inspired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to localize strategic industries, promote agro-industrialization and generate jobs, and ensure access to affordable, accessible, available nutritious food, at all times.
Fresh enoki mushroom —- a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food is now made available to the consuming public to provide affordable, healthy diets and help combat malnutrition and under nutrition. The integrated facility supports the government strategy of building domestic capacity for high-value crops targeted to provide better incomes for farmers, attract more investments for food innovation industries and, generate bigger demand for Philippine exports deemed to generate higher dollar earnings for the country. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., encourages more private sector participation to build-up stronger base for agro-industrialization and local economic development.
The Philippines imported 6,536 metric tons of fresh mushrooms last year, while import dependence for the formal commercial mushroom market stands around nearly 95 percent. This underlines the opportunity for local producers to replace imported volumes as consumer demand continues to grow alongside the popularity of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and hotpot cuisine.
Agriculture Undersecretary for High-Value Crops Cheryl Marie Caballero said the project demonstrates how import substitution can create broader economic opportunities beyond reducing dependence on overseas supply. She also emphasized how agro-wastes from corn cobs and rice hulls estimated around 5 tons a week are used as mushroom substrates that provides additional income to farmers.
“This is not just about producing mushrooms. It is about building a local industry that creates jobs, supports farmers supplying agricultural biomass and transforms materials that previously had little economic value into productive inputs,” Caballero said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the size of the domestic market alone justifies expanding local production, with the Philippines importing more than 6,000 metric tons of enoki mushrooms every year. Once local demand is adequately served, the industry could begin supplying overseas markets, he added.
“We have a large domestic market that is still supplied by imports. Once local demand is met, we see opportunities to export to markets such as Singapore and the Middle East,” Tiu Laurel said. “The Philippines has the land, the capability, and the growing expertise to build a competitive enoki mushroom industry.”
The Silang facility will integrate controlled-environment cultivation, processing, packing, cold storage and refrigerated distribution for supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, institutional buyers and online grocery platforms.
Popular in Japanese and Korean restaurants, enoki mushrooms stand out for their long, slender white stems and tiny dome-shaped caps, giving them the appearance of delicate white noodles or pins. Mild and crisp, they are rich in fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants, making them a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food.
Local production is expected to improve freshness, strengthen food safety and product traceability, while retaining more value within the domestic economy through Philippine-based production, processing and logistics.
Automated cultivation technology will use agricultural by-products such as sawdust, rice bran and sugarcane bagasse as growing substrates, converting low-value farm waste into productive agricultural inputs.
The project is expected to directly employ about 50 workers while creating additional livelihood opportunities for farmers supplying agricultural biomass and other raw materials.
The investment is also making enoki mushrooms more affordable a d accessible.
Caballero said locally produced enoki, which previously retailed for around P80 per 200-gram pack, is now available for P29.75 in about 1,700 DALI stores nationwide, expanding consumer access to the nutrient-rich food.
The mushroom project illustrates how private-sector investment can help transform an import-dependent food category into a competitive domestic industry that strengthens food security, creates rural jobs, generates value from agricultural by-products and opens new export opportunities over time.
