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11.3.1.5 Wholesalers
These actors are both primary wholesalers (big collectors near the production
sites or assembly market) and secondary wholesalers in local markets in the MRD
and wholesale markets in HCMC. Binh Dien wholesale market, one of the biggest
wholesale markets in HCMC, consumes 50–60% of the total fresh RSM produced
in the MRD. Thus, they have an important role in setting the market price and
shaping demand for fresh RSM in the MRD. Lack of proper transportation and
improper storage, poor transportation systems, and prolonged travel time usually
deteriorate the quality of mushrooms arriving in wholesale markets and retailer
markets in the MRD and HCMC. As a result, wholesalers usually sell all fresh
RSM within the day.
11.3.1.6 Retailers
Retailers buy fresh RSM from primary or secondary wholesalers or collectors. The
retailers operate in both wet markets and supermarkets but they handle a much
larger amount of RSM in the former. Retailers also sell different types of vegetables
including RSM at their wet market outlets. One risk in mushroom trading is that all
fresh mushrooms must be sold within a day of reaching the market since quality will
be lost given the poor preservation conditions.
11.3.1.7 Input Suppliers
These actors mainly include rice straw and spore suppliers. Labor and land are
major inputs for RSM production. Labor includes both permanent and seasonal
workers. The mushrooms are grown on land owned by growers or rented from other
villagers such as rice land, free spaces in fruit gardens, or unused land in the
community.
11.3.1.8 Rice Straw Collectors and Traders
Rice straw is collected either mechanically or manually. Mechanized collection is a
good business model recently developed in the MRD (Nguyen et al. 2016). However,
there is still a poor match between rice straw suppliers and mushroom growers in
terms of specific mushroom quality characteristics, such as nutrient content (straw
collected right after harvest) and minimal contamination as mentioned in Chap. 6.
11 Rice Straw Value Chains and Case Study on Straw Mushroom in Vietnam’s…
11.3.1.5 Wholesalers
These actors are both primary wholesalers (big collectors near the production
sites or assembly market) and secondary wholesalers in local markets in the MRD
and wholesale markets in HCMC. Binh Dien wholesale market, one of the biggest
wholesale markets in HCMC, consumes 50–60% of the total fresh RSM produced
in the MRD. Thus, they have an important role in setting the market price and
shaping demand for fresh RSM in the MRD. Lack of proper transportation and
improper storage, poor transportation systems, and prolonged travel time usually
deteriorate the quality of mushrooms arriving in wholesale markets and retailer
markets in the MRD and HCMC. As a result, wholesalers usually sell all fresh
RSM within the day.
11.3.1.6 Retailers
Retailers buy fresh RSM from primary or secondary wholesalers or collectors. The
retailers operate in both wet markets and supermarkets but they handle a much
larger amount of RSM in the former. Retailers also sell different types of vegetables
including RSM at their wet market outlets. One risk in mushroom trading is that all
fresh mushrooms must be sold within a day of reaching the market since quality will
be lost given the poor preservation conditions.
11.3.1.7 Input Suppliers
These actors mainly include rice straw and spore suppliers. Labor and land are
major inputs for RSM production. Labor includes both permanent and seasonal
workers. The mushrooms are grown on land owned by growers or rented from other
villagers such as rice land, free spaces in fruit gardens, or unused land in the
community.
11.3.1.8 Rice Straw Collectors and Traders
Rice straw is collected either mechanically or manually. Mechanized collection is a
good business model recently developed in the MRD (Nguyen et al. 2016). However,
there is still a poor match between rice straw suppliers and mushroom growers in
terms of specific mushroom quality characteristics, such as nutrient content (straw
collected right after harvest) and minimal contamination as mentioned in Chap. 6.
11 Rice Straw Value Chains and Case Study on Straw Mushroom in Vietnam’s…