Building on their success with Oyster, Shiitake, and Matsutake mushrooms, farmers across eastern Bhutan are now embracing a new variety: the Nameko mushroom, locally known as Marpchu. Over the past week, the Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC) Wengkhar in Monggar, in partnership with the National Mushroom Centre and with funding from the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP), conducted hands-on training on Nameko cultivation.
Held at the ARDC’s Sub-Centre in Khangma, Trashigang, the workshop drew 24 participants—farmers and Gewog Agriculture Extension Supervisors—from six districts in the region. Attendees learned to work with both the imported Japanese strain and a local Nameko variety, gaining expertise in sterilizing substrates (short logs, sawdust, and corncobs) through steaming, spawn inoculation, and the careful management of temperature and humidity.
“Nameko’s slippery texture and rich umami flavor make it a prized ingredient in Japanese cuisine, and its medicinal properties add extra value,” explained the visiting Japanese mushroom specialist who led the sessions. Mushrooms cultivated on corncobs—a readily available byproduct for many eastern villages—are expected to be ready for harvest just two months after inoculation.
For many participants, the training has transformed agricultural waste into a lucrative resource. “We used to burn maize corncobs after harvest,” said Pema Norbu of Lauri Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar. “Now I see they’re perfect for mushroom farming. Since corncobs are abundant in our village, this could be a game-changer.”
Echoing this enthusiasm, Karma Lhamo from Monggar Gewog, who already grows oyster mushrooms, remarked, “Our climate here is ideal for Nameko, and there’s growing market demand. I’ll teach these techniques to my neighbors so we can all benefit.”
The foray into Nameko follows its initial introduction to Bhutan last year, with four producer groups already acquainted with basic cultivation methods. This latest training aims to expand that reach, empowering rural households with diversified income streams and providing consumers with fresh, high-quality mushrooms.
Officials from ARDC Wengkhar emphasize that diversifying mushroom species not only strengthens food security but also promotes sustainable agriculture. With corncobs and sawdust—often discarded or burned—now serving as the foundation for a lucrative crop, eastern Bhutanese farmers stand poised to elevate both their livelihoods and the nation’s emerging mushroom sector.
