With the arrival of the first seasonal rains, Nguyen Thanh Tam, who has over five years of experience hunting termite mushrooms in Tay Ninh, joined his friends. Equipped with flashlights and bags, they drove through rubber forests in search of the prized fungi.

According to Tam, his group of four people had to make multiple trips to collect just over 15 kg of mushrooms at the start of the season. Due to the limited supply, beautiful bud-form mushrooms were purchased by traders immediately upon leaving the forest, at prices ranging from 700,000-750,000 Vietnamese dong per kilogram.

A cluster of termite mushrooms discovered by Tam in the Katum rubber plantation area on 13/5 in Tay Ninh. Photo: Thanh Tam

This scarcity is not limited to Tay Ninh; it is also occurring in many areas of what was formerly Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai. After the first seasonal rain, Thanh in Phu Giao and a friend spent an entire night hunting in the forest but only managed to collect about 5 kg on their first trip, half the amount gathered in the previous season.

Le Thi Thanh Nga, a trader specializing in buying termite mushrooms in what was formerly Binh Phuoc and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, stated that last year she could collect 50-100 kg of early-season mushrooms per round. This year, her yield is only a little over ten kilograms per round.

"Retail prices vary from 800,000-950,000 Vietnamese dong per kilogram, depending on whether the mushrooms are in bud form or have already opened", Nga informed.

Meanwhile, Hoang Oanh, a mushroom trader in Tay Ninh, noted that mushrooms from Tay Ninh and what was formerly Ben Tre (now part of Vinh Long) typically command the highest prices in the market due to their distinct sweetness and aroma. For beautiful bud-form mushrooms, the selling price can reach 1-1.1 million Vietnamese dong per kilogram, an increase of 7-8% compared to last year.

Hunters attribute the high prices to the scarce supply. This year's early-season yield has significantly decreased because rains arrived late after a prolonged dry spell, causing mushrooms to grow sparsely and unevenly compared to previous years. "Some nights, we fill our bags, but other nights we search all night and only gather a few hundred grams", one hunter remarked.

In addition to reduced yields, hunting costs have also risen this year. According to Thanh, a specialized set of lights and batteries for spotting mushrooms previously cost about 1-1.2 million Vietnamese dong but now ranges from 1.5-1.6 million Vietnamese dong, depending on the type. This does not include the increased costs of gasoline and travel.

"Reduced supply and increased input costs have driven up early-season mushroom prices by about 7-8% compared to last year", he explained.

Bud-form termite mushrooms collected by Nga from early-season hunters in Dong Nai. Photo: Le Nga

According to traders, early-season termite mushrooms are always sought after despite their high price due to their short appearance window, limited supply, and the inability to cultivate them on a large scale like many other mushroom varieties. Among these, the bud-form mushrooms, which have just emerged from the ground, are the most favored for their crisp texture, natural sweetness, and characteristic aroma.

Tam stated that at the beginning of the season, many customers have to place orders a week in advance. Therefore, he prioritizes selling most of his harvest to regular customers rather than to traders. He anticipates that prices will adjust and supply will become more abundant in the latter half of may, when the mushrooms are in full season.

Termite mushrooms (nam moi) are a natural variety that grows from termite nests underground, typically appearing about one week after the first seasonal rains. They are widely distributed in the Mekong Delta, Central Highlands, and Southeast regions, especially in areas with extensive rubber and planted forests. Since they cannot be mass-cultivated like other mushrooms, their yield is entirely dependent on natural conditions.

Local residents say that mushrooms usually begin to emerge from the ground around 5-6 PM and become more visible in the evening. Consequently, many people choose to hunt for mushrooms from night until dawn to spot them easily with flashlights and to harvest the bud-form mushrooms while their caps are still closed, preserving their crispness and sweetness, which fetches the highest prices.

"Mushroom hunters" suggest that the peak mushroom season typically falls around the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Each flush of mushrooms lasts only about four days before stopping, after which hunters must wait one to two weeks for a new flush to appear. While artificially cultivated black termite mushrooms are available in the market, many consumers find they lack the aroma and sweetness of their natural counterparts.

Thi Ha