A mushroom farmer at Nuaso in the Lower Manya Municipality of the Eastern Region, Mr. Mawuli Kponor has observed that mushroom farming is another booming business in the Agric Sector that can create more jobs for the youth if given the needed attention.
According to Mr. Kponor, the mushroom sector ought to be given the same attention as is the case with other types of farming since it does not require huge amounts of money as a startup capital.
Until recently, mushroom was not a cultivated crop as it grew on its own in mostly forest areas and was harvested through hand picking by farmers on their way to their farm.
More farmers are of late going into the cultivation of mushroom, a neglected and forgotten gold mine, which is not only improving the financial status of the producers but the health of consumers as well.
But speaking in an interviewed with Rite ritefmonline’s Prince Paul Amuzu, the mushroom farmer identified mushroom farming as another potentially booming sector if the much needed assistance is given to it.
“A fetching business which needs immediate recognition in the agricultural sector for expansion and creation of jobs is mushroom farming,” he added.
He contends that supporting the sector would pave way for its expansion and mushroom farmers could potentially employ more hands as a way out of solving the unemployment rate in the country.
“When supported, the farmers could also employ people to work on their farm and this would curtail the menace of unemployment which has become a headache especially for the youth since it does not require much money to start up with,” he asserted.
According to the mushroom farmer, they are not expecting the government to provide them with subsidized fertilizers, extension officers among others but their main problem now is the capital to expand the business and education and publicity on the importance of mushroom.
He has therefore pleaded with the government to find ready market for mushroom production since it is highly perishable.
He also called on government to provide mushroom farmers with credit facilities in terms of loans so that they can expand their farms and employ more hands.
The encouraging part of this development is that the rate at which Ghanaians have shown interest in the eating of mushrooms is giving a massive boost to production
To diverse this trend and enhance the living condition of the citizenry, Government and some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Centre for Development of People, Centre for Biodiversity Utilization Development, and Self Help Foundation have embarked on various intervention programmes and strategies to ensure that growing and eating of mushrooms become part of Ghanaians.
Source: Prince Paul Amuzu/ritefmonline.org/princceamuzu667@gmail.com
