P&L Rogers, one of the largest mushroom producers in South Australia has begun earthworks for a new $4.5 million facility at Port Wakefield which is forecast to double production long-term and see high short-term gains as well.
The new composting site will be located close to the existing mushroom farm and will recycle by-products from local farms to create the sustainable base product for mushroom growth.
P&L Rogers Managing Director Phil Rogers believes that by sourcing their own compost they can ensure higher quality and more reliable growth.
"We're pleased we've been able to acquire land so we can build our composting facility [which] will only be 100km away from our farm, as opposed to where we source it now 400km away," he said.
"The major benefit is that it gives us vertical integration whereas now we rely on another farm to supply it, so we'll be basically autonomous. It will give us an opportunity to improve our output by about 10-15 per cent in the short term.
"In the long term it will give us the opportunity to basically double our output when the demand comes online."
