Tanzania has one of the highest rates of deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa, with around 372,000 hectares of forests destroyed every year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Now, growers across Tanzania have switched to growing protein-rich oyster mushrooms to raise incomes, improve livelihoods and protect the nation’s forests.
While mushrooms have traditionally been eaten in different parts of Tanzania, most farmers picked them from the wild and did not grow them commercially. The government and various non-profit organizations are now touting commercial production of oyster mushrooms, to increase incomes and curb deforestation.
Local farmers, who depend on rain-fed crop growing and charcoal burning, are learning new skills to grow environmentally friendly mushrooms. The east African country has the potential to produce large quantity of cultivated mushrooms due to the presence of agro residues -- potential raw materials for growing mushrooms.
According to Tanzania Mushroom Growers Association, there are more than 10,000 mushroom growers in the country producing 1,920 tons of oyster mushrooms annually.
Source: aa.com.tr
