Reygan Foronda

(Mushroom Production)
Reygan Foronda, 30, from Cabagan, Isabela, is proof that age isn't a barrier to success.
Foronda is the owner of Cassia Food Products and Foronda's Mushroom Farm at the moment. He
is also the Cagayan Valley Mushroom Entrepreneurs Association's president (CVMEA).

Foronda first engaged in mushroom production as a student and is presently reaping the
fruits of his hard work as he was recognized as a Young Entrepreneur by the Department of
Agriculture’s Regional Field Office 2. “The recognition opened great opportunities for me to
develop my business on mushroom production,” Foronda said. Foronda’s decision to start
growing mushrooms stemmed from his dedication to support himself through college. At the
time, he was 26-years-old and was in his second year. “I started when I was in second-year
college because I thought that I should start a business that could pay my expenses and help me
finish school,” he said. With a capital of P3,000, he created mushroom fruiting bags, using rice
straw (a by-product of rice) as a substrate or growing medium. According to Foronda, he opted
to use straw because it seemed like a waste to see farmers burning the material after harvesting.

“They weren’t aware that rice straw can be used to grow mushrooms. And this way, I get
to include farmers in my [then] small business because I purchase the by-product from them
which then gives them an additional income from what they first considered as agricultural
waste,” he said. Foronda managed to start his mushroom production venture with 500 fruiting
bags from the rice straw that he purchased from farmers. He then waited five months to complete
the mushroom growing cycle before he sold his produce to the market. In one month, he earned
P13,000 from the mushrooms that he grew. Aside from selling his mushrooms, Foronda also
makes his mushroom fruiting bags available in the market. He sells one fruiting bag for P35 and
his sales can reach up to 5,000 fruiting bags in one month. Presently, he has 10,000 mushroom
fruiting bags in his growing house and produces white and gray oyster mushrooms since these
are the varieties that the market demands.

To ensure the success of his mushroom production venture, Foronda attended training
sessions at the Department of Agriculture and applied what he learned to his mushrooms. Seeing
how profitable mushroom production is, Foronda pursued what he started and through his
efforts, he attained a bachelor’s degree in agriculture at Isabela State University. “I’m very proud
of the course I took because I earn a good profit through honest and hard work. Plus, I get to help
my fellow farmers,” he said.

Foronda has also been invited as a key speaker as well as a trainer by the DA regarding
mushroom production. He hopes that he can inspire others to start growing mushrooms as he did
because of the money-making potential it has.
 During his early years as a mushroom grower, Foronda attended training at the DA. Not
only did he learn how to properly grow and manage his mushrooms, he also learned how to
increase his income through value-adding. “The free training gave me knowledge on how to
process fresh mushrooms into different foods. One of these is the famous healthy snack: crispy
mushroom,” Foronda said. Branding his mushroom products after his farm, Foronda made use of
social networking sites to market his merchandise. His friends even helped out in advertising his
crispy mushrooms. Eventually, Foronoda’s products gained the attention of many and are now
being sold in local pasalubong centers and even in other countries such as Canada, Saudi Arabia,
Hong Kong, Dubai, and more. “One reason why people enjoy my crispy mushroom is because of
its quality. I make sure that the ingredients are fresh and the mushrooms are cooked just right to
achieve the crispiness that the people like,” he said.

The Young Entrepreneur hopes that he can inspire the youth to make their dreams come
true much like he did when he set up his mushroom business.

Why did he become successful?

Reygan Foronda became successful because of his positive attitude and mindset. Despite
his age he still strives hard to have a bright future. His hard work really helped him to establish
his business, attending training sessions are also a key factor for him to continue to improve his
strategy in doing his business. Another thing that helped him to reach many customers is with the
use of social networking sites. These characteristics are the reasons why Reygan Foronda
became successful.