Mushroom farmers want Tirdo to increase spawns production

Mushrooms producing farmers have asked the Tanzania Industrial and Research Development Organization (Tirdo) to increase production of spawns saying the produce was of high demand at the moment.

The call was made yesterday by mushroom producers at the closure of a one-week training workshop in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Eunice Mayunga, said the demand for mushroom seeds had become high in the recent past.

Mayunga said currently, majority of people had embarked on the mushroom production which was gaining popularity due to its economic viability.

`Some of us have just started the business, but when you ask for the seeds, in most cases they are not there as other people do buy them in large quantities,` she said.

She further explained that, mushroom production was one of the alternative economic activities for low-earning income people.

Mayunga said production of the produce, if properly cared would make more people get out from the vicious cycle of poverty.

For instance Mayunga said: `I was intending to undertake production of both medicinal and edible mushrooms for economic purposes.`

`I will start with edible mushroom production because it has a shorter gestation period compared to the medicinal one, but I have a land also where I will plant the medicinal one in a few days to come,` she added.

Helen Mwamkoa who spoke on behalf of the group of 26 participants said the entrepreneurs had the zeal to search for proper education on mushroom production skills.

`We wanted to know how the crop is being produced and explore those techniques. Previously we only knew that mushrooms are only used as food but we came to know that they is more than that,` she stated.

She said majority of participants had the knowledge that mushrooms were only grown in bushes.

`We did not realise that mushrooms can be grown professionally and eaten comfortably,` said Mwamkoa.

She said though the participants were well equipped with the production skills, capital remained the hindering block ahead.

`Our target is to grow mushrooms in large quantities for export in future,` she added.

Participants advised Tirdo to come up with a sustainable mechanism that would make spawns available at any time and cheaply, adding that it should also work harder to look for viable mushrooms markets.

Responding, Tirdo acting Director General Dr Ludovic Manege advised the mushroom farmers to source spawns from different producers across the country.

`Apart from Tirdo, there are spawn producers at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mbagala and other centres that have qualified training,` he said.

Dr Manege said Tirdo will continue with training and extension of services in various parts of the country and in particular in rural areas where poverty prevails and agriculture wastes are abundant.