MUSHROOM OUTGROWERS PROJECT

Menagesha Integrated Organic Farm PLC In Collaboration with

ICCO Food Security and Rural Entrepreneurship Fund (FSRE-Fund)

2014-2015

Project Objectives

Summary of Project Activities

Challenges Faced

Lessons Learned

OUTLINE TOPICS

Project Outline

- Aim : to introduce Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) growing to small farm holder families living in and around Menagesha and Holeta

- Menagesha Int. Org. Farm Train outgrowers the steps of mushroom cultivation Follow up & consultancy after training delivery Produce and distribute Spawned bags to outgrowers Provide market for their produce

- Outgrowers Construct small mushroom growing houses Cultivate and harvest mushroom at their site Sell mushrooms to MIOF

The general objective of the program was :

• to increase the fresh mushroom supply to the

growing market in Ethiopia

• to increase the economic and nutritional wellbeing

of rural poor.

Major activities that has been carried out

• Capacity building of the farm

• Organizing outgrowers

Mushroom Spawn production

laboratory was established

Additional infrastructure for

mushroom cultivation purposes were modified

and adjusted

More people were hired

Consulted by mushroom experts

from Holand and USA

Regarding outgrowers scheme:

Mushroom cultivation business were promoted

using seminars and briefing sessions,

Small holder farmers and unemployed youths

and housewives were recruited,

Training (Lecture and hands on practical) were

delivered to the selected outgrowers

Spawned bags were supplied to outgrowers

Fresh mushrooms were collected from growers

and,

Mushrooms were marketed to supermarkets,

hotels, food retailers etc

Delay of capacity building processes of

the farm

• Lack of foreign exchange to import

the major working equipments from

abroad

• Insufficient electric power supply to

run the laboratory work

• Machine failure problems

Problems and Challenges

Challenges regarding selection and

recruiting of outgrowers.

This is due to • Mushroom growing is new venture for the small

holder farmers

• Lack of willingness of the community to start the

business,

• Smallholder farmers lack finance to construct

growing houses and to buy Spawned bags

• Rural poor infrastructure (water, roads etc)

Considering lower number of outgrowers if

we are able to start the project over

Clustering or grouping of outgrowers in

few areas would have been more effective (recruiting outgrowers, distribution of inputs, doing follow

ups and supervisions and also collection of the products

and marketing )

Lessons Learned

Linking outgrowers with finance

institutions

Investing on few models to attract more

Building the trust between the farm and

outgrowers by transparent transactions and

also using contractual agreements

Outcome of the project would be different

if project area is in Addis Ababa

The Training Course

Example of Trainee's Mushroom Growing

Houses

Distribution of Spawned bags

to the trainees

THE NEW LABORATORY

Spawned Bag Production

Growing Houses

Open bags

Watering bags

Harvest mushrooms