From Favourite Dish To Mushroom Mogul, Saiful Builds A Farm

By Nur Fadhliana Shaari

JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- What began as a fondness for mushroom dishes has grown into a sustainable agribusiness for Noor Saiful Amri, a native of Pontian who now earns his living cultivating and supplying mushroom blocks.

Cendawan Saifulam Agro Farm founder Noor Saiful Amri, 42, said his foray into mushroom farming began in 2005 while he was employed at Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn, now known as Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. The venture started as a modest attempt to supplement his income.

His interest deepened as he read newspaper articles on mushroom cultivation, prompting him to seek guidance from the Pontian and Johor Bahru district offices of the Department of Agriculture. He attended courses in Johor before furthering his training at Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Armed with new knowledge, he began cultivating mushrooms on a small scale in 2005, selling his harvest to university staff. Initially, he produced 20 to 30 kilogrammes a week, selling out consistently. Though returns were modest, the additional RM400 to RM500 a month strengthened his resolve to manage the entire process, from preparation to harvest.

He launched the business with RM5,000 of personal savings, building a 20-by-20-foot mushroom house. Since then, he has added four more units and constructed block-processing facilities and related infrastructure, bringing the total investment to nearly RM100,000.

Support from government agencies proved critical. He received grants in kind -- including machinery for producing and steaming mushroom blocks -- worth about RM50,000. Assistance also came from the Department of Agriculture, the Farmers’ Organisation Authority, the Malaysian National Industry Board and the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board.

After more than a decade cultivating various species, including the shredded mushroom, Saiful now focuses exclusively on producing grey oyster mushroom blocks, supplied to institutions, communities, individual growers and traders, including those participating in agricultural projects under the 'Sejati Madani' Grant across several states.

Grey oyster mushrooms were chosen for their strong demand and versatility in local dishes such as battered fried mushrooms, tom yam and fried rice.

Last year, he sold more than 30,000 mushroom blocks, generating an estimated profit of about RM50,000. For 2026, he aims to increase annual sales to between 80,000 and 100,000 blocks in line with rising demand.

In 2023, he received state and national recognition for innovating the use of pineapple waste as an alternative substrate in mushroom blocks, addressing a shortage of rubber wood sawdust.

Looking ahead, Saiful plans to develop an agro-tourism mushroom farm featuring a variety of mushroom species, alongside a café offering mushroom-based dishes.

-- BERNAMA