In Kenya, mushroom farming is a lucrative business. There are a few things you should know if you want to start a mushroom farm. In this blog post, we’ll go over the fundamentals of mushroom farming and offer advice on how to get started. We’ll also give you an overview of the Kenyan mushroom market and tips on improving your mushroom farming experience. So, if you’re considering starting a mushroom farm in Kenya, keep reading!
Mushrooms in Kenya are grown in Kericho, Kisii, and Eldoret. They are later transported to Nairobi, where a ready market exists. Nairobi is said to have the highest demand for mushrooms in Kenya, making it the most popular place to buy mushrooms in the country.
What Type of Mushroom is Grown in Kenya?
The following five are the most commonly grown edible mushrooms in Kenya:
1. Button
2. Oyster
3. Chinese
4. Termitomyces
5. Straw mushroom
Mushrooms have high nutrition value and protein. In addition, they are a good source of vitamins amino acids and carbohydrates.
The most two popular species grown are button and oyster.
1. Button
Button are majorly cultivated by large scale framers and takes approximately two months to mature. The production of button requires high use of technology and thus it will be expensive to practice on small scale farming.
They are, however, susceptible to diseases.
2. Oyster
These are mainly grown by small scale farmers since they entails use of simple technology. Oysters are resistant to diseases as opposed to button.
5 Steps to Starting a Mushroom Farm in Kenya
The following are the five most important steps to starting a mushroom farm in Kenya:
1. Get a Piece of Land
You’ll need some land to grow your mushroom crop. A massive farm capable of producing up to 2 tons of mushrooms every two months can be established on a plot of land as small as 1/8 of an acre. You can also use the shelf-frame farming method.
2. Build a Simple House
Once you’ve found a suitable plot of land, you’ll need to build a simple mud-house and a few wooden shelves to take advantage of the available vertical space. You can save money on construction by improvising with locally available materials and the help of a local carpenter.
To ensure proper airflow, the house should be adequately ventilated. The house should also be rodent proof to keep off rats. It is also advisable to sprinkle water in the room for those mushrooms that thrive well in humid conditions.
3. Search for the Substrate
The substrate is the first and most important supply you will need. Substrate, in a nutshell, is the organic-based material on which mushrooms grow. Forest soil, wheat straw, bean straw, millet straw, or even rice straw could be used in its place.
Wheat straws are considered the best since they contain the nutrients needed by the mushrooms.
Sterilize this because even a minor bacterial infection could harm your entire farm. You’ll need about 20 bales of wheat straw, which cost about Ksh. 200 per bale.
4. Obtain Nylon Bags
Both small bags for seedling preparation and large bags for planting are required. Two hundred small bags that shops frequently use to package sugar cost about Ksh. 110. A farm of 1/8 acre will require approximately 1000 larger bags, costing up to Ksh. 18 per bag.
5. Collect Mushroom Seeds
Last, you will require mushroom seeds (also known as spawns). Button spawns are the most popular type of spawn. In Kenya, you can get mushroom seeds at either KARI or JKUAT. One kilogram of button spawn costs Ksh. 1,000. You only need 5 kilograms to get started. You can also cultivate oyster and shiitake mushrooms.
How to Make Your Mushroom Farm Successful
The following are some of the things to do as a beginner to make your mushroom farm successful:
1. Maintain a sterile and clean growing environment at all times.
2. It is best to begin with small-scale mushroom farming before expanding to a larger farm.
3. For more information, speak with a local agriculture extension officer.
4. Ask farmers who are already doing this for mentorship to learn about their challenges.
5. Research your market options before harvesting to avoid unpleasant surprises and disappointments at the last minute. Mushroom farming for export in Kenya has grown in popularity, and you can also look into international markets.
How Much Should You Invest in Mushroom Farming?
Starting a 1/8th farm from scratch will cost Ksh. 240,000. However, once the farmhouse is built and the necessary supplies are purchased, the cost of running subsequent farming seasons will be around Ksh. 140,000.
How Much Should You Expect from the Mushroom Farming Business?
Button mushrooms mature in less than 14 weeks (2 months), and an eighth-acre farm with 1,000 bag platforms can produce up to 2 tonnes of output. The average cost per kilogram is Ksh. 700, resulting in sales revenue of up to Ksh. 1.4 million.
Obstacles to Mushroom Farming in Kenya
Although the production and cultivation of mushrooms in Kenya have increased significantly over the years, mushroom growers still face some challenges during the cultivation and marketing of their products.
These issues include the following:
1. Scarcity of cultivation houses.
2. Scarcity of good spawn.
3. Scarcity of funding.
4. Scarcity of equipment.
5. Scarcity of markets and opportunities for local marketing.
6. Scarcity of storage space in facilities.
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