Which edible mushroom varieties are currently the most profitable to grow?

Edible mushroom production in our province is unevenly distributed. In the suburbs of Hefei, mainly rare edible mushrooms are grown, such as oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius), shaggy ink cap (Coprinus comatus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), and white king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus nebrodensis). In the three counties under the jurisdiction of Hefei, mainly oyster mushrooms are grown. In Huaibei, Fuyang and other places, more button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are grown. In Huainan, more enoki mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes) are grown. In mountainous areas such as Jinzhai and Huoshan, mostly wood ear mushrooms and reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) are grown. In southern Anhui, mostly shiitake mushrooms are grown. Overall, the edible mushrooms grown in our province are mainly four major categories: oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and button mushrooms. In terms of market profitability, rare varieties look promising, such as king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius), white king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus nebrodensis), and shimeji mushroom (Hypsizygus marmoreus). These edible mushrooms have great market potential, and farmers should grow more of these varieties. Second, off-season cultivation varieties also have great potential, such as enoki mushrooms and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) marketed in summer, and straw mushrooms and abalone mushrooms marketed in winter.

In 2005, there were two breakthroughs in the edible mushroom market. According to General Manager Ding Lunbao of Anhui Tiandu Lingzhi Products Company, first, trading volume surged sharply; in just one evening, the trading volume at the Hefei Zhougudui market reached 100,000 jin; second, prices hit new highs, for example, oyster mushrooms were priced at 2.5 yuan/jin (wholesale price, the same below), enoki mushrooms at 1.4-3.5 yuan/jin, and button mushrooms at 2.7-3.5 yuan/jin. He predicts that edible mushroom prices will continue to rise this year, but oyster mushrooms will gradually be replaced by oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius), and white king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus nebrodensis), mainly because the quality of oyster mushrooms is declining and prices may drop slightly. Meanwhile, some edible mushrooms with good taste and high nutritional value, such as king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius), white king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus nebrodensis), and tea tree mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita), will be greatly welcomed by consumers, and their sales will certainly double compared with 2005. In particular, the market share of button mushrooms will increase substantially, and growing rare edible mushrooms will surely bring a good harvest.