Arinze Onebunne
My
personal experience as an agric entrepreneur has proved that farming
mushroom, antelope, quail, rabbit, grass cutter, snail, laboratory rat
and guinea pig is second nature.
In the case of mushroom cultivation,
its production gives small farmers a big chance to increase their
income, improve their health and offers an alternative means of
livelihood to urban and rural farmers. The process of growing mushroom
is one of the easiest ways to earn a living and not much physical
strength is required in its production.
The potential in mushroom farming makes
it an investor’s delight as a viable money making option. Investment in
mushroom production will, in the long run, contribute to food security,
wealth, health and employment creation.
Getting started
Starting a mushroom farm is a
potentially lucrative way of getting into the farming business. Its
cultivation is also regarded as one of the most science-based branches
of agriculture and horticulture. Growing mushroom is a rewarding
experience.
You can get started without the costly
items the so-called experts say you should have. With about N80,000, one
can kick-off with 20 mushroom platforms constructed with scrap
materials by a roadside carpenter. They are cultivated in a small floor
space.
Mushroom beds need a darkroom for only
14-18 days while harvesting is usually four to six days after opening
the bags, mushroom primordia begin to form. Mature mushrooms become
ready for harvesting in another three to four days.
Types
There are many types of mushrooms and
they can be categorised into four groups: Saprotrophic, Mycorrhizal,
Parasitic and Entophytic.
Health benefit
Edible mushrooms are considered as
healthy food because their mineral content is higher than that of meat
or fish and most vegetables. The protein content of fresh mushrooms is
about twice that of vegetables and four times that of oranges.
The protein in mushrooms has all the
nine amino-acids that are essential for the health of human beings and
they are especially rich in lysine and leucine, which are lacking in
most staple cereal foods.
Scientists have also indicated that
mushrooms are devoid of starch and low in calories and other
carbohydrates. It is clear that apart from the nutritional value of
mushrooms, they have potential medicinal benefits and are also an ideal
food for the diabetics and obese people.
The health benefits of mushrooms also
include improvement in the body’s immune system and the prevention of
all forms of cancer and tumour.
Good market
Many opportunities abound in the growth
of mushrooms as most of the big hotels in Nigeria have mushrooms on
their menu, but these mushrooms are imported, meaning that local
production will have a ready market. There is an opportunity to even
export mushrooms to Europe and America, once you can produce good
quality.
In Asia, there are a lot of youths and
women organisations that are engaged in mushroom farming and they are
able to export their produce.
Increased awareness
More farmers are of late going into the farming of mushrooms.
Local demand for mushroom is also
increasing as the people become more health conscious by avoiding the
consumption of red meat that is loaded with cholesterol.
The business of mushroom cultivation in
Nigeria is now growing at a feverish pitch, attracting investors who
either see it as a complimentary business proposition or as a main and
sustainable revenue stream.
Either of the propositions has the potential to earn decent returns.
For instance, while a kilo of chicken goes for N700 on the average, a kilo of mushroom is about N1,700.
Viability
The technology for the cultivation of
mushroom species could be easily adopted by individuals, co-operative
societies, families and schools in the rural and urban centres without
difficulties. Also, mushrooms can be cultivated all-year round as
sources of the mushrooms are agricultural wastes, which are always
available in abundance in Nigeria.
The high rate of returns and low cost of
investment as well as farming them are some of the reasons many farmers
are fast resorting to mushroom cultivation these days.
If you embrace this business, you will be glad you did in the long run.
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