The Jakarta Maritime, Agriculture and Food Security (KPKP) Agency, held a webinar on cultivation, processing and marketing of mushrooms with the theme "The Economic Potential Behind Mushroom Business in the Capital". It was attended by 206 people with various backgrounds and ages.

This could be a business opportunity for the community and the market is quite wide

On that occasion, there were a number of competent speakers, namely, the Tani Sehat Mandiri CEO, Imelda Tarigan; Simbions Farm CEO, Sugih Mukti; and Jamur Halwa CEO, Helmi Nurjamil.

There were also mushroom farmers in Jakarta, namely Sadelih from Mushroom Cultivation Group RW 10, Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta and Abdullah from Kayu Besar Berseri, Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

The material given in the webinar included cultivation, processing, diversification and marketing of mushrooms.

Jakarta KPKP Agency Acting Head Suharini Eliawati said, it aimed to socialize that mushroom cultivation could be developed in Jakarta. Moreover, currently processed mushroom products were increasingly diverse and market demand was also quite high.

"We want to introduce the diversification of processed mushrooms, mushrooms not just cooked, sauteed. This could be a business opportunity for the community and the market is quite wide," she expressed, Wednesday (3/10).

She explained it was also bridging restaurant business actors, especially vegetarian restaurants, with mushroom cultivators in Jakarta.

"The demand for mushrooms by vegetarian restaurants is high. They have difficulty finding good and fast mushroom products for processing. It is because shipments from outside the region are often constrained by time and the quality can decline. This is potential for cooperation," she explained.

KPKP Agency's Agriculture Division Head Mujiati explained that mushrooms are a type of plant that contains high protein, which is, about 27 percent per 100 grams, higher than soybeans.

It also has a high calorie content, up to 72 percent unsaturated fat but non-cholesterol and high calorie content.

"Vegetarians who want to taste food menus whose nutritional content is equivalent to meat can eat mushrooms," she explained.

She added mushroom treatment was easy as it did not need to be done as intensive as cultivating vegetables.

"Just sprayed with water to keep moisture. Mushrooms do not need sunlight, so those who have difficulty cultivating vegetables in Jakarta, the alternative is mushroom," she closed.