As a new mushroom farmer, you must be aware of the possible challenges of mushroom farming in Kenya in order to prevent or manage the challenges whenever you encounter them. I have a complete guide to get you started.
All businesses have challenges and mushroom farming in Kenya is not an exceptional. Despite the challenges, farmers still engage in mushroom farming because its profitable. So if you are a beginner farmer and wondering is mushroom farming profitable in Kenya? Yes.
Button mushrooms only need two months to develop. A one-eighth-acre farm can maintain 1000 bags, yielding up to two tons. A farmer may sell one kilogram to a consumer for Ksh. 600, generating Ksh. 1.2 million in income.
Mushrooms may be purchased in Kenya at large grocery outlets for between Ksh. 400 and Ksh. 600 per kilo. Individual sellers provide a better deal at Ksh. 500 per kg.
Also mushroom farming in Kenya is profitable because the compost may be sold once it has been used. For 2000 KSHs, a 50 kilogram bag may be purchased. Nairobi has the largest mushroom demand in Kenya.
6 Challenges Of Mushroom Farming In Kenya
1) Mushroom Farming Is Labour Intensive
Mushroom farming is a time-consuming process. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the physical demands of
- Mixing and sterilizing substrates,
- Ordering and inoculating with spawn,
- Maintaining environmental controls,
- Harvesting and processing mushrooms,
- Marketing,
- Business management,
- Other responsibilities that come with running a business.
However, the payoff is well worth the effort.
2) High Expertise Needed For Mushroom Farming
Commercial mushroom farming in Kenya necessitates a high degree of managerial involvement and expertise. New mushroom growers frequently make the mistake of believing that mushroom cultivation is simple.
To generate regular harvests of high-quality, marketable mushrooms, each species requires specific care. Another typical blunder is starting too big and diversifying too early.
3) Scarcity Of High-Quality Spawn
The quality of the spawn has a big impact on the mushroom production. Good spawn should be disease-free and have a high production potential.
Large mushroom farmers have a frequent problem: a lack of high-quality spawn. Every year, they switch spawn sources in pursuit of better spawn.
4) Mushroom Yellowing Challenges
When your substrate becomes yellow after mycelium has developed or begun to form, it’s usually a sign that it’s gotten dry and/or no longer has enough nutrients to support fruiting.
Rehydrating the substrate may temporarily fix the problem, but it is more often than not a sign that the substrate is no longer capable of sustaining mycelial development.
5) Lack Of Storage Facilities For Mushrooms
Large mushroom farmers are likewise confronted with a serious challenge. Growers are unable to dispose of their fresh mushroom on the same day during peak output, and are obliged to retain it for the next day.
Fresh mushroom loses weight and loses quality in such a circumstance since it is a very perishable product that can only be stored for around 12 hours at room temperature and 2-3 days at 5 degrees.
To counteract this issue, mushroom farmers will need a shared cold room where they may store their harvest for 2 to 3 days, as well as a pre-cooling unit to improve the mushroom’s keeping quality.
This type of facility is currently unavailable for mushroom storage, even in locations where tiny mushroom farmers are concentrated in significant numbers.
6) Marketing And Transport Challenges To Mushroom Farmers
When enormous quantities of mushrooms are gathered each day at large mushroom farms, marketing becomes a significant issue. Mushroom growers are unable to sell huge quantities of mushrooms in excess of the daily demand in the local market and neighboring towns.
In this circumstance, he must either sell the remaining quantity of mushroom at a discount or transfer it to various locations where mushroom demand is great.
However, because mushroom is a perishable food that cannot be stored at room temperature for more than 12 hours, transporting fresh mushrooms from producing areas to non-producing areas across a distance of 300-400km is a challenge.
It can only be done if it is delivered in refrigerated vans, which are currently unaffordable to many mushroom farmers. As a result, the mushroom’s quality and quantity decline, and the farmer suffers significant losses.
Benefits Of Mushroom Farming In Kenya
At the domestic level, mushroom cultivation has a number of advantages that include but not limited to:
- Income-generating activity from mushroom sales
- High nutritional content, medicinal value
- Lifestyle diversification possibility
- Independence from weather patterns
- Mushroom farming can be done throughout the year
Successful Mushroom Farming Tips
The following are the secrets to mushroom farming in Kenya successfully:
- Before expanding to a larger farm, start with a small farm and see how things go. You’ll have a higher chance of learning from your mistakes this way.
- Seek guidance from other mushroom growers in the region and study their methods.
- To minimize disappointments, find a market ahead of time because mushrooms have a short shelf life once picked.
- Maintain a high level of sanitation on your farm.
