Mushrooms – sprouting with economic potential
Wild or cultivated, tropical mushrooms have a commercial potential that is only now starting to receive the attention it deserves. Quick and inexpensive to produce, mushrooms can provide a significant source of extra income for rural dwellers, especially women and young people.
Wild edible mushrooms are part of the culinary tradition of many rural communities, who know how to recognise them and appreciate their flavour. Many Haitians living abroad would do anything for a plate of black rice with djondjon (Psathyrella), a mushroom that only grows in that country.
Wild mushrooms are non-timber forest products (NTFP) and have rich nutritional properties as well as considerable commercial potential. Neither vegetable nor animal, these strange organisms belong to the fungus family and are small protein powerhouses. They also contain mineral salts and vitamins and, due to their low lipid content, they are recommended for people with high cholesterol levels. Mushrooms provide a seasonal contribution to the food security of rural communities, especially in East Africa. But they are also much sought after for their unmistakeable taste, which can transform the flavour of a dish or a sauce, a factor that sometimes elevates them to the status of luxury products.
In many central and southern African countries, the harvesting and sale of wild mushrooms at market is a significant source of revenue for rural communities, especially in areas where forestry conservation rules ban or restrict the use of timber. Harvesting is generally carried out by women and children, who sell the product at roadside stalls.
Adding value to local species
In the past decade, a number of projects have been launched to promote wild mushrooms, especially in Benin, Malawi and Tanzania. The first task is to clearly identify local species, which are often only known by their vernacular names, and to study how they are consumed and the local, regional and international markets for them. Opportunities exist, including export openings. Zimbabwe, where boletus (Boletus edulis) are neither highly prized nor widely consumed, exports these mushrooms to Italy via companies based in South Africa. A 2002 study carried out in Haiti put the export value of dried djondjon at US$6 million (€3.8 million). In the Pacific region, wild species appear to be fewer or poorly documented. An inventory published in 2006 makes only passing reference to Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Of the 2,327 useful species of mushroom catalogued worldwide, barely a hundred can be cultivated, but little research has been conducted in developing countries on strictly local species. In Benin, CECODI, an NGO that promotes forest products as a source of food and income, organises field studies for rural communities with the goal of identifying all edible species and cultivating some of them.
In Africa, a growing number of initiatives have been launched to encourage the small-scale cultivation of certain species. The best known are button, wood ear, oyster, shiitake and paddy straw mushrooms, most of them cultivated for thousands of years in Asia. In Mauritius, for example, the Agricultural and Research Extension Unit (AREU) supports production by distributing bags of spawned substrate to people wanting to try their hand at mushroom cultivation, having first given them a 3-day training session.
Commercial success
South Africa has ventured into commercial production on a major scale, exporting to neighbouring countries. Peter Nyathis, who started from scratch and was subsequently helped by USAID under a black empowerment initiative, launched Tropical Mushroom in 2000. Six years later, he had a staff of 60 and was producing up to 5 t of mushrooms per week, selling them to supermarkets and restaurants.
The popular expression ‘growing like mushrooms’ illustrates the rapid growth of fungi. That is an important attribute when it comes to cultivating them, as is their need for little space and their ability to grow on dead organic matter. All sorts of agricultural waste can be used as substrate: cereal stalks, sawdust, woodchips, palm stalks, coffee or brewer’s residue and even water hyacinth. The Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives (ZERI), operating in a number of countries including Namibia, has succeeded in exploiting this invasive aquatic plant. Dried and composted, it makes a good substrate for cultivating oyster mushrooms.
In spite of the apparent simplicity of mushroom cultivation, you need to bear in mind certain key points before starting. The first question concerns outlets. Is there a nearby market where you can sell your product? Mushrooms are fragile and highly perishable, especially in tropical climates. Another important consideration is the availability of spawn for the chosen variety. Unless you have access to this you will have to prepare it yourself, but this is a delicate technical operation which requires rigorous hygiene and temperature controls.
Tanzania is one country that is actively exploring another interesting avenue – medicinal mushrooms such as Ganoderma spp., which is highly prized as a dietary supplement. Mushrooms have yet to reveal all their secrets.
More information: spore.cta.int
Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Development.