Nigeria sitting on $50bn unexplored mushroom market

By Onome Amuge

The global demand for mushrooms has witnessed significant growth in recent years, driven by an increasing vegan population demanding a protein-rich diet and its recognition as a superfood packed with  nutritional contents.

According to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. the global mushroom market size was valued at $50.3 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 per cent from 2022 to 2030. China is ranked the world’s largest producer with 5.1 million metric tonnes of annual production, an estimated 75 per cent of global production, making it the biggest mushroom market globally.

Notably, mushroom cultivation is becoming increasingly successful in many regions of the world,underpinned by several factors including; the prevailing external climatic conditions, short growing times, very low input requirements for production, and easy production technologies.

However, while other countries are tapping into the opportunities mushroom production offers, it has been found to be relatively new in Nigeria with just a few farmers cultivating and harvesting it for food and commercial purposes. Reports show that the produce is in many cases considered a weed, with only a small fraction of  the population recognising its food and commercial purposes.

This has been attributed to inadequate awareness about the potential in mushroom farming, lack of adequate technical guidance, limited post-harvest processing options, lack of trained research and extension personnel, poor market organisation and market linkages amongst others, which has hindered Nigeria from enjoying  substantial economic benefit from the mushroom market.

A report by the National Farmers Information Service (NAFIS), showed that Nigeria produces 300 tonnes of mushrooms yearly, against a demand of 1,200 tonnes, leaving a deficit of 900 tonnes.

Adenike Wahab, founder,Mushroom Planet Nigeria, described mushroom farming as a waste to wealth farming practice that can be practiced both indoor and outdoor. According to Wahab, the farming process is not capital intensive,does not require large expanses of land and takes an average of six weeks to start yielding. She added that one can make a minimum of N100,000 monthly growing mushrooms as a business.

Wahab noted that mushroom production in commercial quantities requires proper training for any farmer before delving into it. This, she explained, will help the potential producer determine how far to go and which aspect to venture into.

She added that the usage of sawdust for cultivation is the simplest and almost only viable commercial means of cultivation presently.

Wahab also disclosed that Nigeria is a good place for mushroom business as the climate is perfect for its cultivation and it can be grown all year round, creating employment, healthy living and wealth for farmers.

Seyi Ogunneye, the managing director ,Agro Heights Farms Nigeria Limited, said the potential of the mushroom agribusiness is quite positive, adding that with the value addition that is currently witnessed from the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), there is a great future for mushroom farming in Nigeria.

  Ogunneye  highlighted some of the challenges the industry is facing to  include, dearth of skilled labour; funding; and clear cut requirements for growers for certifications by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Speaking on the processes involved in being a mushroom producer, he said the potential producer has to identify where in the mushroom value chain he/she will like to come in regarding cultivation, processing or production of mushroom inputs. He added that when that has been established,mentorship/training will be a great asset to the farmer so as to gain hands-on practical experience before venturing.

Brownson Etimbuk, co-founder, Etifarms Global Ltd, a company engaged in the cultivation, processing and distribution of edible mushrooms, said that the value  of mushrooms is quite enormous, noting that, edible mushrooms can be grown, packaged, and distributed to end users like restaurants, and supermarts across the country.

Etimbuk noted that mushrooms can be processed into powder for the consumption of babies and can be added to tea drinks and used to fortify the flours for baking as it adds nutritious value to the diet.

He added that Mushrooms can be grilled, fried or cooked as this plant protein does not  contain cholesterol, unlike regular protein sources as it helps to mop up the cholesterol in the system.

Qudus Haruna, a mushroom farmer from Niger State, noted that Nigeria is abundantly blessed with the dark loamy soil that is most suited for mushroom cultivation.

According to Haruna, Nigeria is richly endowed with good quality mushroom like Pleurotus and Agaricus genera which can be mass-produced for local consumption as well as for international market.

He  added that  If well-cultivated locally, mushrooms would complement the government’s effort to turn waste to wealth, including serving as another source of income for the country.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Sami Ayodele, a professor of Botany, said that Nigeria can generate as much as N1 trillion annually from mushroom production and marketing  if the sector is properly developed.

He, therefore, called on Nigerians to embrace mushroom cultivation, noting that research has shown that it can create wealth, alleviate poverty and enhance human health.

Ayodele, who stated this while presenting the National Open University of Nigeria’s 22nd Inaugural Lecture on the topic, “Mushrooms: Friends or Foes”, in Abuja, noted that mushroom stands tall amongst other vegetables due to its high medicinal and nutritional content that can deal with micronutrient malnutrition, which is prevalent among the less privileged in the society.

“The global demand for mushrooms has continued to increase significantly according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report and the market for mushrooms is also huge and growing exponentially,” he said.

Ayodele said that the mushroom sub-sector, along the value chain, if properly developed and managed, could provide 30 million skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled jobs for the teeming unemployed graduates, vulnerable youths and women.

According to the plant science expert, mushrooms are rich sources of protein, fibre, vitamins, and carbohydrates which are suitable for patients with heart disease, hypertension,diabetes, and  contain special ingredients that help prevent cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions. He added that they can be used to treat headaches, stomach aches, fever, colds, mumps, and heart disease.

He noted further that mushrooms play a role in reducing environmental pollution by converting and utilising organic wastes generated through activities of agricultural, forest, and food processing industries.

Ayodele encouraged  regular conferences and workshops by mushroom scientists to sensitise the Nigerian public about the new trends in mushroom cultivation and its potential for food security.

In order to boost Nigeria’s participation in the global market and improve revenue potential of mushrooms,the renowned scholar presented a 10-point recommendation in which he called on the Nigerian government to establish national mushroom germplasm centres in different parts of the country where documentation of all available edible and medicinal mushrooms is housed.

He  also recommended the inclusion of mushroom cultivation for entrepreneurial purposes in the educational curriculum in Biological and Agricultural sciences.

Ayodele further urged stakeholders in the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector to exploit the medicinal potentials of the bio-diversities of medicinal mushrooms in the country for medicinal formulation.

On its part,the National Mushroom Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NMGPMAN) has called on the federal government to explore opportunities in the mushroom value chain.

Michael Awunor,president of the association, lamented that a quick look into the estimated data for mushroom production in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory showed no evidence of production in some states

To this end, Awunor  called for cooperation between the private sector and the public to develop the value chain, adding that the governments at all levels need to address the challenges hindering the growth of the mushroom subsector of the country.

He also  advocated for the inclusion of the sub-sector in the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).