Obed Nyambo, a mushroom farmer in Kamonyi District, aspired to become self-employed after completing his university studies in 2017. With strong academic performance, he initially began his farming journey by raising chicks, rabbits, and pigs. ALSO READ: Chinese-invented Juncao grass changing fortunes of Kenya's dairy farmers However, upon discovering Juncao technology, a Chinese-invented invention used to grow mushrooms using chopped grass as a substrate for growing edible and medicinal mushrooms, in 2018, Nyambo realised the profitability of mushroom farming and decided to focus on it. Developed in the 1980s by the National Engineering Research Centre of the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University of China, Juncao technology allows smallholder farmers to grow mushrooms from dried, chopped grass, without chopping down trees and harming the environment. ALSO READ: Rwanda mulls agency to purchase produce from farmers Today, I can proudly say that my mushroom business has enabled me to create jobs for over 20 people in my community, helping them lift themselves out of poverty. I pay my highest-paid worker Rwf120,000, while the lowest-paid worker earns Rwf60,000. Even those who cut the grass we use daily receive Rwf2,000, he said. Regarding production capacity, they currently produce 10,000 tubes monthly. The price for one kilo of mushrooms ranges from Rwf2,000 to 3,000. In Bugesera District, another mushroom farmer, Immaculee Muragizimana, said that the technology greatly benefited her. Her income doubled, thanks to increased production. Before, we used only a small number of mushroom spawns, around 500, and at most 1,000. Many things would go wrong without the technology. However, after implementing the new technology and receiving extensive training we now use over 4,000 mushroom spawns each month. “Additionally, we used cotton before to plant mushrooms which was difficult because it was not readily available in Rwanda. But with this new technology, which uses grass from our own country, we have been able to improve our farm efficiency. For every six times we produce, the fourth is profit,” she said. Ernest Ndayizeye, a farmer from Huye District, began his journey in 2019 after working for a Chinese company. Inspired by the technology he learned from there, he started his own mushroom business. Now, I have my own company, which provides for all my needs and generates daily income. Additionally, I have employed 10 people from my community, he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s agricultural produce up by 300,000 tonnes Patrick Karangwa, the Director General of Agriculture Modernisation in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, highlighted the benefits of this technology in enhancing agricultural productivity on small plots of land. Large-scale agriculture is not feasible in Rwanda due to limited land. This is why using small plots for high-yield and profitable crops is crucial, he said. Karangwa noted the advantages of mushroom farming, with its resilience to weather changes and its potential to lift people out of poverty without harming the environment. Mushrooms can produce significant yields in a short period, providing financial benefits and sustainability, he said. According to Karangwa, over 37,000 farmers were trained on Juncao technology and more than 3,800 households and over 50 companies and cooperatives are engaged in mushroom cultivation. He said the technology helped increase mushroom production compared to the past 15 years. Farmers, he said, can generate income in seven to 10 days after planting mushrooms, with up to 1,200 kilos of fresh mushrooms produced on 110 square meters of land in a year.
