How my decision to grow mushrooms paid off – Farmer

Despite years of a challenging journey in the agricultural sector, Grace Olayemi Oke – a woman who has developed a deep passion for the mushroom business, has persevered. These difficulties, rather than deterring her, have served as a learning curve, nurturing her new venture into mushroom cultivation. Today, Oke has left Nasarawa State, where she […]

Despite years of a challenging journey in the agricultural sector, Grace Olayemi Oke – a woman who has developed a deep passion for the mushroom business, has persevered.

These difficulties, rather than deterring her, have served as a learning curve, nurturing her new venture into mushroom cultivation.

Today, Oke has left Nasarawa State, where she faced numerous unsuccessful attempts to break even, to establish two thriving mushroom farms: one in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and another in Kuje, near Abuja.

These ventures are progressively enhancing her quality of life and entrepreneurial skills.

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Grace began cultivating mushrooms in her backyard in 2023 and has since expanded it into a multi-branch business, with headquarters in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, and a branch in Kuje, Abuja.

While many Nigerian elites are increasing their consumption of mushrooms, public awareness regarding the health benefits of mushroom production and consumption remains relatively low. Nonetheless, the industry is expanding, and Grace is eager to capitalize on this market potential.

“We acquired a larger land, and we plan to sink boreholes, erect fences, and hire more workers,” she stated. “People in the eastern part of the country are more familiar with mushrooms, so we believe expanding there will bring more awareness and demand.”

According to data from Grand View Research, the global mushroom market was valued at $50.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 percent from 2022 to 2030, reaching $115.8bn.

“Nigeria produces 300 tonnes of mushrooms yearly against a demand for 1,200 tonnes, leaving a deficit of 900 tonnes,” said Dr. Stella Iwuagwu, a nutrition expert, during her 2022 presentation on “Mushroom Value Chain In Nigeria.”

Speaking to Daily Trust from her Kuje farm, Mrs. Oke shared that mushrooms are a vegetable a farmer can produce with minimal capital, specific knowledge, or experience, adding that it is “worth trying.”

“The mushroom business is very lucrative. When I say very lucrative, it’s very lucrative,” she emphasized. “There’s no time we have mushrooms on the ground, either fresh or dried, that you don’t get buyers. Buyers are always waiting for it.”

The farmer currently charges N4,000 for a kilogramme of fresh oyster mushrooms and N20,000 for dried ones. She purchases 500 grammes of mushroom “spawn” (the seed) for N3,000 from the western region of Nigeria.

“I’ve managed to make 2,000 bags. Fruits can be stored in the bags for three to four months before becoming bad,” she explained.

She has since seen a steady increase in her clientele and demand for mushrooms from eateries, individuals, and even pharmaceutical businesses, noting that she now sells both dried and fresh mushrooms.

 

Motivation for mushroom farming

Grace became interested in mushrooms because they don’t require a lot of space or money to start. In contrast to many agricultural endeavours that necessitate loans, grants and substantial initial capital, mushroom farming can be initiated with as little as 50,000 to 100,000.

“Mushrooms are grown indoors without sunlight. They don’t go through photosynthesis. What they need is moisture, cleanliness and ventilation,” she explained. “Using materials like rice bran, sawdust and water, we water them twice daily, and they can be ready for harvest within one to two months. It doesn’t need much training and learning, and it doesn’t take a very long time before it starts yielding or harvesting and making a gain.”

“I went into mushroom cultivation because of the health benefits. It’s something many people overlook when they think of farming; it doesn’t really come to people’s minds in Nigeria, unlike other countries that are very much into the production of mushrooms and the exporting and importing of the product. But mushrooms are nutritious, organic, and in high demand both locally and internationally.”

Grace added that “Everything we use is natural and organic. Most of the raw materials we use are locally sourced, like rice bran and sawdust, often free or extremely cheap.”

 

Challenges 

Despite this success, mushroom farming in Nigeria faces significant challenges. The industry remains largely unrecognized by agricultural authorities and receives little government support.

Grace noted that mushroom farmers are often excluded from grants, loans and support programs. She said, “When the government talks about agriculture, they focus on poultry, maize and cassava, forgetting the mushroom farmers.”

“One major challenge that I face is inadequate access to quality spawns, which are the seeds of the mushroom. I get the seeds from the West, from places like Lagos and Ibadan,” she noted. “Also, the lack of mechanization slows down production, while unreliable power supply hinders storage and preservation.”

She explained that most mushroom farmers use manual methods, stating, “We don’t have machines that would help us scale and possibly export. And if you want to export, you will need a NAFDAC number, which is not easily accessible. Mushrooms are food, and they need NAFDAC approval. Without it, the Nigerian Export Commission won’t let us ship it out.”

She also mentioned that another challenge she faces is that “Mushrooms are unknown to many people. They ask a lot of questions, like, ‘What is this?’ It is only people living in villages who know much about it. We need awareness in schools, workplaces, and the general public. People need to know how valuable and simple mushroom farming can be. There should be a campaign for that on mushrooms.”

 

Considering mushroom cultivation

From spawning to spore preparation, substrate, incubation, fruiting and harvesting, Mrs. Oke outlined some of the procedures involved in mushroom cultivation. A well-ventilated area, rice bran, sawdust, rubber bands, an iron drum, and spirit to clear off dirt are all necessary for mushrooms, she said.

 

What mushrooms are

Mr. Sylvia Emberger, a nutrition expert, writing on “Mushrooms—Shedding Light on their Nutritional Value,” explained that although mushrooms are categorized as vegetables, they belong to the kingdom of fungi and are not strictly plants.

He added that they have several traits in common with plants and even animals. Mushrooms have relatively few calories, almost no fat or cholesterol, and very little sodium. About 1 cup, or 3 ounces, of raw mushrooms has 1 to 2 grammes of protein.

“Mushrooms provide the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin, which are especially important for people who don’t eat meat,” he wrote.