MUSHROOM farmers in western region expect to have better yields following the launch of a training and resource centre in Kabale district.
The state minister for tourism, Serapio Rukundo, who opened the centre at Kyanamira on Friday, said it was the first such institution in the country.
He noted that the centre would train 1,106 growers in the districts of Kabale, Kanungu and Kisoro and urged residents in Kigezi region to seize the opportunity by actively engaging in mushroom growing.
The centre’s managing director, Peace Byandusya, said the community-based organisation was set up in May 2007 with support from Switzerland to train, grow and process oyster mushrooms, targeting both the local and international markets.
“Mushrooms have been grown here on a commercial basis although the farmers were marketing the product on their own.
But with the establishment of this centre, marketing can now be done professionally, which will benefit the farmers and raise household incomes,†Byandusya explained.
She noted that oyster mushrooms have high nutritional and medicinal values.
Mushroom training centre opens
