Farmers in Nakuru County have been urged to diversify maize farming to include mushroom farming since the demand for mushrooms has soared.
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) officer Eric Nyamoa, who is also an expert in mushroom farming, said that it is time farmers diversified into mushrooms since the plant flourishes, especially during rainy seasons.
Nyamoa asserted that mushrooms take about five to six months to be ready and many consumers prefer those grown in the farms than the ones that sprout in the fields.
Jane Mutai, a mushroom farmer for two years, advises other farmers to invest in this lucrative venture.
She added that after harvesting her mushrooms, she dries them up for preservation since they are highly perishable and later ferries them to the market.
Mutai cautioned that mushroom farming needs close attention and that the produce also needs fertiliser to promote growth and quicken maturity, failure to which, a farmer risks big losses.
Carol Wairimu who sells the commodity at the County Top Market said that she ventured into the business after noticing that the maize market is flooded. Wairimu added that mushrooms have a high demand but the supply is low.
She added: “A kilo of mushroom fetches Sh80. I sell only one 90kg bag of mushrooms in a day which does not meet the demand of my customers.”
James Wandai who is a regular mushroom consumer explains that the commodity is very nutritious when taken with Ugali compared with kales.
He advises residents to stop relying on Ugali and Githeri and try mushroom as a combination with rice for it is economical and easy to prepare compared to other delicacies.