Zimpapers Logo

Elita Chikwati Features Editor

Mushroom production has become one of the fastest-growing agro-business ventures in Zimbabwe.

With the Government’s foot on the pedal to attain food sufficiency, mushroom farming remains a low-hanging fruit to achieve national food security as enunciated in the National Development Strategy 1, which identifies food security and nutrition as drivers of economic revival.

Mushroom production has become popular among farmers and individuals because it allows the recycling of materials such as sawdust, banana leaves, husks, and dung, which could otherwise pollute the environment, to be turned into nourishing delights.

The business venture can be undertaken by different people regardless of age and gender. The business only requires one to have the necessary skills, providing quick returns, and be a potential income generator all year round.

The DanChurchAid (DCA) led, Utariri biodiversity stewardship programme is proactively closing the skills gap which inhibits farmers from entering this space by working with four consortium partners – namely, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Bushlife Africa Trust, Farmers Association of Community Self Help Trust (FACHIG), and Future of Hope Foundation (FoHF).

“Utariri will be officially launched in March following a receipt of a US$5.5 million grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The Programme is in line with the new Swedish Development Co-operation Strategy for Zimbabwe 2022–2026, for strengthened conditions for sustainable management and use of natural resources, including protection, conservation, and restoration of biodiversity.

In 2021 DCA, Bushlife Africa Trust, and Future of Hope piloted the Utariri biodiversity project, together with local government authorities in Hurungwe District.

The initiative was targeted at distressed wards 7, 8 and 9 where increased human settlement is interfering with traditional biodiversity conservancies and wildlife corridors through agrarian land use, mining, deforestation, poaching and illicit trading.

The pilot which was supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) benefited 80 farmers who can now produce mushrooms successfully and earn an income. Consequently, smallholder farmers from ward 7 have improved their nutrition and livelihoods following the intervention by the Utariri Biodiversity programme.

Between September and December 2021, the Utariri Biodiversity Programme trained 30 mushroom farmers. Seventy (70) percent were women and 30 percent were men. The farmers received training on mushroom production at three especially constructed mushroom hubs built by the programme and received starter packs of 25 kits each.

Pauline Jali from ward 7, is one of the 80 farmers who benefited from the Utariri Biodiversity Programme. Pauline purchased additional inputs after receiving the initial starter pack during cascading training. By end of October, the kits were already bearing fruit in the round hut she set up as a makeshift mushroom hub at her homestead. By 31 December 2022, Pauline had harvested 31kg of fresh oyster mushrooms from 50 kits. Today, she has established a viable market where she supplies 40 punnets (8kg) of mushrooms to the International Anti-Poaching Foundation weekly. She is working closely with other mushroom farmers to meet that weekly demand.

The demand for edible fungi is growing daily because many people cannot afford to buy foods like fish or meat because they are expensive. Utariri is therefore satisfying the local market by meeting production demands for oyster mushrooms.

To close this income gap in communities in the Zambezi Valley, Utariri has helped farmers through the establishment of a hectare-fenced solar- borehole irrigated gardens. These gardens are farmed intensively by mostly women’s groups using organic and agro-ecological principles with the aim of supplying the safari lodges within the Manna System. Horticulture production is also contributing towards the food and nutrition wellbeing of the participating households. Large mushroom farming hubs have been built and delivery of fresh oyster mushrooms both to communities and to the private sector partners inside the national park has commenced.

Most farmers have realised the importance of mushroom production and have started replicating the production models at household level.

The farmers who were initially supported with starter packs are now willing to buy their own inputs which include the spawn. Some have increased production and sell 20 punnets of mushrooms every week and are raking in around US$20.

The farmers have been empowered and this had a positive impact on their income, creating earning opportunities for the community through the multiplication and diversification of livelihood opportunities. Besides income, the programme has also boosted food and nutrition security, while educating the community on how to prevent human-wildlife conflict in the area.

“We are delighted by the positive impact that Utariri has had in a relatively short time. The desire to learn new skills by the farmers, mostly women, and to be able to improve their livelihoods is very encouraging. Now that we have been awarded this grant by SIDA we have started the work to expand the programme to other communities across the Zambezi Valley so that they too can benefit,” said DCA country director and Utariri consortium lead, Said Mads Lindegard