Once jobless youth now urban farmers mining good money from mushrooms

Mushroom farming is a profitable agribusiness ventures, combining innovation, environmental conservation and building resilience against the growing effects of climate change.

They are mostly grown by large-scale producers, who account for the biggest share of the 500 tonnes of mushrooms produced in Kenya annually.

But small-scale growers are also capitalising on the ever-expanding, vast and untapped market potential.

The most commonly grown varieties are button and oyster mushrooms.

The market demand for mushrooms has grown to about 1,200 tonnes annually, pushing consumers to import 700 tonnes annually, according to the National Farmers Information Service (Nafis).

One group of small-scale mushroom farmers are youths in Voi, Taita Taveta county.

Agriventures comprises unemployed young people, who joined hands in 2021 to try their luck in farming after their desperate search for jobs failed.

One problem was they didn’t have enough space to grow crops where they lived at Brikiani estate, on the outskirts of Voi Town.

“We had to quickly think of a venture that would not require a large space, since we are living in town. That is how the idea of growing mushrooms was hatched,” member Mbala Lenjo told the Star.

Armed with knowledge from farming journals, the enterprising farmers prepared start-up mushroom farms in rented houses and gave it a try.

They were later trained on mushroom farming by a German NGO and the European Union.

“These trainings propelled us to increase production and establish more darkrooms. The market base has also grown and it is giving us a reason to smile,” she said.

They procure the spawn (mushroom seeds) from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

A kilo of mushroom spawn costs Sh600 and can be planted on 25 mushroom-growing bags.

“A bag can produce up to 2.5 kilos when conditions are favourable. We are still looking for good and high-yielding spawn to maximise production,” she added.

They produce about 250 kilos of oyster mushrooms every month from three propagation houses. They sell as dried or fresh vegetables to local clientele.

Dried mushrooms are packaged as is or in form powder.

Fifty grammes of dried mushroom sell for Sh200, while the same amount of powder sells for Sh350. A kilo of unprocessed mushroom retails for Sh500 to Sh700.

Lenjo, an enthusiastic chef, also prepares dishes from mushrooms. They include mushroom soup, stew, pizza and cake.

“This is one of the exciting parts of this venture. Most of our clients come here because of the delicacies,” she said.

Many people prefer the already-prepared mushroom product as opposed to raw mushrooms.

This has propelled her to set up her brand called Agrimushplus Taita Taveta.

Lenjo, like her peers, has mastered the art of minting money from the overlooked mushroom farming.

She is keen on training more youth to join the venture.

The group, she said, is incorporating vulnerable elderly people, to enable them to access nutritious foods.

A stone’s throw away from Lenjo’s farm, James Waweru is busy preparing substrate, a material on which mushrooms are planted

Waweru, an IT expert, is also a member of the group.

To prepare the planting bags, they use maize cobs, banana leaves, macadamia nuts and rice husks mixed with sawdust, molasses and other substrate components.

The substrate is dipped in lime mixture for 24 hours before being sterilised. The spawn is then placed in a substrate-filled bag and placed on shelf-like structures in a cold darkroom for 21 days.

Once they start turning white in three weeks, they open the planting bags and wait for four days for the mushrooms to sprout and flower.

“You will start harvesting after one month and continue for three more months,” Waweru said.

The entire process is very crucial as it requires high standards of hygiene to eliminate possible contamination of the highly perishable produce.

“Mostly we use surgical spirit to sanitise our hands before touching anything on the farm. Any contamination could lead to reduced production,” he said.

Mushroom farming is environment-friendly as the planting components are recycled and reused, thus reducing waste. It also promotes organic farming.

They attribute their success to resilience and zeal to tap the potential of mushroom production in the region that usually receives depressed rainfall.

The region has been experiencing prolonged drought that has reduced food production, hence the need for climate-smart farming.

Before the onset of El Niño rains in October last year, the region had recorded more than seven consecutive failed rain seasons, rendering more than 170,000 residents food insecure.

Taita Taveta agriculture executive Erickson Kyongo said such a venture is key in building resilience to adverse climate change effects and should be adopted not only by urban dwellers but by people in rural areas.

Kyongo advised more young people to join agribusiness.

“People are venturing on such less popular agribusiness activities that have bigger returns. Mushrooms can yield a high income and significantly improve their livelihoods,” he said.

The department is training youth groups to adopt farming and become self-reliant.

Mushrooms contain antioxidants, have high levels of protein and low fat content. They boost immunity, help prevent heart disease, reduce the chances of cancer and diabetes and help strengthen the liver.

They are no miracle cure and must be eaten frequently and consistently.