For a state to have rapid growth and development there is the need for its economy to be diversified.Statistics have shown that most Nigerian states that have staggering debts and experiencing low growth and development are those that have totally relied on oil and gas revenue from the federation account.
In Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has demonstrated his commitment to the growth of the economy through various programmes and incentives for businesses.
In line with the words of Fujio Mitarai, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canon Incorporation, “Diversification and globalization are the keys to the future”.
Also, Arancha Gonzalez, rightly noted that in the pursuit of growth and diversification, African economies should consider transforming the discourse from a focus on industrialization to a broader one, centered on value addition in agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Investment in agriculture is now one sure way of boosting revenue instead of the unsteady dependence on oil and gas. The Obaseki administration has figured out that there is a high return on investments in mushroom farming, which is still alien to some African countries.
Countries like India, Japan and Poland have leveraged this aspect of agriculture and have carved out for their people a market niche. In the United States of America for instance, mushrooms are a part of the recipes for popular cuisines.
As a way of diversifying the state’s economy, the Governor is collaborating with farmers in the provision of farmlands as well as mushroom spawn to kick-start the mushroom farming business.
The reason for these interventions is to encourage mushroom farming in the State and encourage farmers to key into this viable business opportunity. Mushroom farming is a very lucrative business, but not very popular in Nigeria. In places where the business is popular, farmers make a lot of money from it.
With more farmers engaging in mushroom farming, there would be mass patronage that would yield high income. Currently, one (1) kilogram of oyster sells for N2000.
Mushroom farming is highly profitable, rewarding and growing different species/breeds of mushrooms encourages good remuneration.
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of a kind of fungi; they grow on their source of food, which is usually rotting wood, and on the soil. Mushrooms occur in various varieties with some containing nutrients which benefit the body while others contain toxins that are harmful to the body.
They are consumed globally as food, food supplements and medicine, and are majorly grown for subsistence and commercial purposes. There are different types of mushrooms: White button, oyster, shiitake, maitake, nameko, enoki, straw, mane and shinji etc.
Apart from their great and delightful taste, they are low calorie-food, very nutritional and affordable. They are rich in proteins, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids and minerals. Mushrooms could be dried and exported as cash crops.
The demand for mushrooms in the Nigerian market is gradually on the increase as people are beginning to discover the essential value of mushrooms with recommendations from nutritionists and doctors.
The demand has become higher as restaurants now place orders for them for local and international cuisines, for household use and for pharmaceutical industries. Scientists have now also developed a new kind of leather manufactured from mushrooms, with the same features as genuine leather. The production of mushroom leather is cost-effective too. Leather produced from mushrooms is of great quality and could be used to produce shoes, bags, belts etc.
