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Kenya: Resurgence in mushroom farming
Kenya is an agricultural economy with 80 percent of the country’s revenue generated from agriculture.
Consequently, many farmers grow crops such as maize, wheat, cassava, sorghum, vegetables, potatoes and many more either as subsistence or cash crops.
But very few Kenyan farmers have ventured into mushroom farming.
Those who do so grow it for sale as a cash crop.
Enos Mukhwana, a mushroom farmer in Kitale town says initially he was scared of venturing into mushroom farming since few people have done it.
He is quick to add that since then, he has never regretted his move. What he earns, he says, is more than what he would have earned from the sale of maize or wheat, which are the main crops planted in the region.
He began with only two mushroom houses and now has six on his 50-acre farm situated just three km from Kitale town.
Mushrooms are very nutritious.
They are rich in protein, vitamins and mineral such as copper, sodium and potassium.
They also have a medicinal properties like antibiotics activities, anti-cancer and anti-hypertension effects.
A kg of wet mushrooms goes for between shs 450 and 650 (About 5 and 6 U. S. dollars), while a kilo of dry mushrooms goes for between shs 350 and 500 (about 4 and 5 dollars).
His clients are the big hotels but he says this is the greatest challenge he faces since they are very few in the region.
The edible mushroom farming process is quite involving and most farmers find it hard venturing into it as they do not have the equipment to process and pack the value added products.
Source: coastweek.com
Kenya is an agricultural economy with 80 percent of the country’s revenue generated from agriculture.
Consequently, many farmers grow crops such as maize, wheat, cassava, sorghum, vegetables, potatoes and many more either as subsistence or cash crops.
But very few Kenyan farmers have ventured into mushroom farming.
Those who do so grow it for sale as a cash crop.
Enos Mukhwana, a mushroom farmer in Kitale town says initially he was scared of venturing into mushroom farming since few people have done it.
He is quick to add that since then, he has never regretted his move. What he earns, he says, is more than what he would have earned from the sale of maize or wheat, which are the main crops planted in the region.
He began with only two mushroom houses and now has six on his 50-acre farm situated just three km from Kitale town.
Mushrooms are very nutritious.
They are rich in protein, vitamins and mineral such as copper, sodium and potassium.
They also have a medicinal properties like antibiotics activities, anti-cancer and anti-hypertension effects.
A kg of wet mushrooms goes for between shs 450 and 650 (About 5 and 6 U. S. dollars), while a kilo of dry mushrooms goes for between shs 350 and 500 (about 4 and 5 dollars).
His clients are the big hotels but he says this is the greatest challenge he faces since they are very few in the region.
The edible mushroom farming process is quite involving and most farmers find it hard venturing into it as they do not have the equipment to process and pack the value added products.
Source: coastweek.com
Publication date: 3/15/2010
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