THE country’s first commercial enoki mushroom facility has opened in Cavite, which is expected to reduce reliance on imports and help make the vegetable more affordable, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday.
Enoki mushrooms are long, thin white mushrooms with a mild flavor and crunchy texture. Popular in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines, they are commonly used in soups, stir-fries, hot pots and salads.
The eight-hectare facility in Silang, owned by local firm Basic Necessity Inc., will integrate controlled-environment cultivation, processing, packing, cold storage and refrigerated distribution of enoki mushrooms.
Its products will be supplied to supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, institutional buyers and online grocery platforms.
The facility will directly employ about 50 workers while creating additional livelihood opportunities for farmers supplying agricultural biomass and other raw materials.
In 2025, the Philippines imported 6,536 metric tons of fresh mushrooms, which accounted for about 95 percent of the commercial market, according to the DA.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the size of the domestic market provides an opportunity to expand local enoki production and eventually develop an export industry.
“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 DA said the project supports the government’s strategy of expanding domestic production of high-value crops to raise farm incomes, attract investments in food processing and innovation, and develop potential export products.
Agriculture Undersecretary for High-Value Crops Cheryl Marie Caballero said local enoki production could generate economic benefits beyond replacing imports.
“This is not just about producing mushrooms. It is [also] 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.
The DA said domestic production could also improve product freshness, food safety and traceability while keeping more of the value generated from production, processing and logistics within the country.
The privately funded facility is also aligned with the government’s push to localize strategic industries, promote agro-industrialization, generate jobs, and improve access to affordable and nutritious food.