Sharing Knowledge through Oyster Mushroom Business
CIANJUR (KU) – He still looks modest, not much different from four years ago when met by Kabar UGM. The man who likes to wear a collared shirt is neat in his batik on Tuesday (28/9). Coincidentally, that day he had to meet the Banyumas Regent who would come to visit his business site. Previously, he met a Master student of Agribusiness IPB who is writing a thesis about his mushroom cultivation.
"I have appointment with the Regent to pick him up in Bandung. It had been scheduled at 11 am, but I had to delay it because I had visitors," Triono said.
Not only this time that Triono has to meet officials who observe his mushroom cultivation farm. In the late 2009, he was also visited by the Minister of Agriculture, Suswono. In fact, almost every day he also receives visits of students from schools and universities in various regions. Triono also organizes mushroom training for people who are interested in following his business.
Ir. Triono Untung Piryadi is a successful alumnus of UGM who runs mushroom cultivation business. His oyster mushroom is not only sold in Cianjur, but has been marketed in Jakarta, Bogor, and several parts of West Java. The seedlings have even been sold in Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra.
Through CV Asah Agro Corporation (AAC) which he founded ten years ago, the mushroom business turnover has reached 750 million rupiah per month. Every day, he can sell 1.5 to 2 tons of oyster mushrooms and 8 thousand seedlings. Each kilogram of the mushroom is sold at 7,000 rupiah while one seed costs 1,400 rupiah. His business occupies an area of 3 hectares and hires 85 employees. "I’ve had 25 plasmas in Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. For the mushrooms alone, nearly 60 percent is collected from here," the alumnus of Faculty of Agriculture said.
The name of AAC was taken from Triono’s mushroom business when he was UGM student. "When I was in college, I set up Asah Agro Corporation (AAC). I focused on mushroom. With my friends, we developed it in Godean. The farm was near the Mataram and the lab was at the Banteng Residence. We shared the capital. I harvested oyster and straw mushrooms and I sold them at the market. There were 6 of us back then, but before I graduated, this business was dissolved,” said the graduate of UGM in 1991.
Running Mushroom Business since Becoming Student
While in college, Triono had already known mushrooms because he was an assistant to Prof. Dr. Ambarwati for her research in mushroom. "We grew straw mushroom in oyster mushroom media. Incidentally, she was my supervising lecturer. I helped people who came to buy the mushrooms. While helping Mrs. Ambar, I sometimes received many orders from agricultural students of private colleges. As an assistant of Mrs. Ambar, I often got the chance to talk about mushroom,” said the graduate of SMAN 1 Probolinggo.
In 1992, Triono applied for work in the CV Inti Sejati Mekar, Cianjur. This company was the largest mushroom company in Southeast Asia. Here, Triono career started right from the bottom. Initially, he became assistant supervisor. Within six years, he was farm manager. Triono, however, was not comfortable with the company. In 1999, he decided to resign from CV Inti Sejati Mekar and opened his own business.
Triono started his mushroom business from scratch. Luckily, Cianjur people already knew the mushrooms. Oyster mushroom is often imported from Bandung. Triono’s business had not reaped success in a flash. "I started the production of 5 kilograms per day. Imagine, if I harvested 10 kilos per day, it would be hard to sell it. Many retailers in the market rejected our mushrooms. In their opinion, they already have their own market. I did not give up. I continued to try selling the mushrooms because I believed that my mushrooms have better quality and packaging," said the youngest of three brothers.
Overcoming the problem, Triono created a new strategy. He sold mushrooms cheaper than other mushrooms. He made the mushrooms appear more interesting. In an instant, the mushrooms became famous. Orders increased, somebody even ordered as much as 50 kg a day. No wonder that in 2001 he was able to hire employees and in 2003 he founded CV AAC.
As time passed, his mushroom business grew. As a result, Triono required larger areas. So, what was he doing? "I started from a small land lease. We rent a hut with a farm. Once we moved place, but it lacked of water. It came to a stop, then we moved place again. We started from 1,000 square feet of land. Over time, we continued mushroom production until I could buy 0.6 hectare of land, now it has expanded to 3 hectares. This last one was formerly a swamp, but I had an idea of making the chicken scratch floor," the graduate of Faculty of Agriculture Plant Disease said.
Now, the marketing of AAC CV covers the areas of Cianjur, Sukabumi, Bogor and Jakarta. "The distributors collect directly from our place. Each day, we can produce 1.5 – 2 tons. Mushrooms for vegetables, such as oyster and straw mushrooms, are popular," he explained.
Successful as he is, Triono never thought to sell his mushrooms directly to buyers or supermarkets. He wants to share good fortune with people who are involved in the business. "I don’t directly sell this mushroom. I want a rapid turnover. I have principle not to think like a tailor. Tailors have high style with highly priced clothes, but very few orders. So, we think like a convection, a little profit, but much turnovers and we can employ others so that the wheel of trade goes on. We want to provide livelihoods to others, then we sell this mushroom to distributors. The distributors resell them to the agents and then to retailers. In Jakarta, the price can be up to 20,000 rupiah per kilogram," said the father of two children.
Triono has high expectation for the mushroom business. In his opinion, recently, goods and drugs industries come from China. Mushrooms are originally from China. He wants the mushroom industry to grow in Indonesia. This country has potentials. "Why don’t we develop this potential?" Triono said.