marble nkomo
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
WHAT started as a community agricultural and livelihood initiative in Bulawayo’s Pumula North suburb has turned into a flourishing mushroom enterprise, empowering smallholder farmers and fostering a vibrant agribusiness landscape in the area.
Mushroom farming is fast becoming Bulawayo’s high-return, low-space and climate-resilient urban agricultural venture, often utilised by residents to generate extra income.
Utilising agricultural waste like cotton husks or maize cobs, people in different parts of the city are successfully cultivating oyster mushrooms, scoring yields of up to 150 kilogrammes per square metre annually.
Pastor Muziwanele Ncube (36) of Deep Plough Agriculture Co-operative Society Limited said as an agriculture co-operative of 65 members, they were transforming lives within their community.
“We started mushroom farming last year in November in Pumula North, but had previously been doing other farming projects outside town for a while. The reason we decided to start mushroom farming is that it is affordable, not capital-intensive and we were also targeting those youths not doing anything productive in our community,” he said.
“We also realised that there was high demand for mushrooms, both fresh and dried, according to the trade map. The other thing that we discovered is that people prefer mushrooms grown this way to those picked from the bushes because of safety concerns, given the poisonous nature of some mushroom species.”
He said the project was self-funded and being run in cabins for both incubation and growth.
Pastor Ncube said cabins were important because they served different purposes in the production process’s various stages.
He added: “Our vision is to expand production and develop a community-based agribusiness, while our strategy and aim is to provide advice to those who want to start mushroom projects.
With the knowledge and experience we now have, we aim to provide training and mentorship to entrepreneurs. Mushroom business provides a good opportunity for youths, women and small-scale farmers because it does not require large tracts of land.”
Pastor Ncube said that, like all farming projects, one of the biggest challenges they had been facing was maintaining temperature and humidity at the right levels.
He said at times they faced the problem of contaminated substrate, but had since discovered solutions to the challenge.
“Sometimes we face the challenge of late payments from supermarkets that we supply with mushrooms. This affects our production cycles, but despite all these challenges, mushroom farming remains a profitable and sustainable venture,” he said.
“Mushrooms grow fast. They can begin forming fruit bodies in a week’s time and there is continuous regular harvesting. To anyone who would like to start mushroom farming, our advice is simple — start small and learn the process step by step.”
Pastor Ncube said in mushroom farming, there was a need to maintain cleanliness and good environmental conditions, seek training or mentorship before scaling up as well as remain consistent and patient when learning.
Matabeleland North acting provincial director for Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas), Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu, said mushroom farming in urban areas could be a game-changer.
“In Zimbabwe, you can grow oyster or button mushrooms using minimal space and resources. Here’s a quick rundown of how to do it. Use substrates like maize cobs, wheat straw or sawdust, control temperature (15-25°C) and humidity (80-90 percent), while you harvest mushrooms two to three times a week,” he said.
“You can sell fresh or dried mushrooms to restaurants, supermarkets, or local markets after starting with an initial investment of between US$200 and US$500 for the setup and materials.”
He said through value addition, one can get products like dried mushrooms (for local or export markets), mushroom powder (for food or supplements), mushroom sauces or pickles, mushroom tea or coffee blends and cosmetics like soaps, creams (using mushroom extracts).
Local agronomist, Mr Leonel Maposa, said mushrooms were valuable in horticulture and provided various nutrients.
“Mushroom farming is a highly profitable, low-capital and fast-turnover agricultural business, especially suitable for small spaces or urban areas. With a 30-day maturity cycle, it offers year-round production potential using organic waste materials like straw or corn cobs,” he said.
As a Global G.A.P registered trainer, he said opportunities were there in mushrooms for exports.
Global G.A.P is an internationally recognised certified standard that ensures good agricultural practices and outlines international standards that safeguard food safety, workers’ health and safety, animal welfare, and environmental protection.
According to the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) the global mushroom export market is dominated by Poland, China, the Netherlands, and Canada, with rising demand driven by health trends and sustainability.
“Poland is the top exporter of fresh/chilled mushrooms (US$649,5 million in 2024), while China leads in preserved and dried varieties. The industry is growing rapidly due to increased consumer preferences for healthy, plant-based and sustainably produced food.”
WITS said Zimbabwe’s mushroom export market was small but growing, focusing primarily on dried and fresh varieties sent to South Africa and Russia.
“Key exports include dried mushrooms (roughly 4 000 to 4 500kg annually) and fresh or chilled mushrooms. The industry is expanding, particularly through small-scale oyster mushroom cultivation, with initiatives to enhance local spawn production.”
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