Rwandan farmers are urged to start growing mushrooms. According to Alphonse Niyibeshaho, who is in charge of post -harvest in the ministry of agriculture, the country is not self- sufficient in the production of this commodity.

 

Agence Ecofin quoted him saying, "Currently, Rwanda is not exporting mushrooms, but tend to import it. National farmers produce 1,500 tonnes or 60% of what is needed on the market.”

 

He also said the increase in domestic production will depend on the reduction of the periodic shortages that the country of a thousand hills faces. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing measures to reduce this shortage.

 

These measures are mainly to encourage the creation of mushroom cultivation cooperatives where the Ministry provides necessary equipments for the production, as well as a networking system that links farmers and buyers.

 

Further, industry players were urged not to remain inactive, in a recent forum that was gathered around the theme "Agribusiness in Rwanda today and vision for the future "they reviewed the ways and means to contribute to an increase in production volume.

 

One solution could be adopted by the Kigali Farms. The company led by Laurent Demuynck provides seeds to farmers wishing to sell their mushroom production.