Abia Govt. expresses commitment to boost mushroom farming


Mrs Uzoamaka Ikonne, the Permanent Secretary, Abia Ministry of Agriculture, said on Monday that the government was committed to boosting mushroom production in the state.

Ikonne said this at the opening ceremony of a four-day training workshop on mushroom farming technology organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in Umuahia.

“The essence of the training is to introduce the people of Abia to a farming technique that will enable them to explore the potential of the mushroom production venture.

“The ministry has a plot of mushroom farm and we usually harvest not less than 32 kgs of white and brown Oyster mushroom daily.

“Each kilogram is sold for N1,500 and the ministry is able to make at least N48,000 everyday,” she said.

Mr Stanley Ogbonna, the Chairman of the occasion, described mushroom production as a lucrative venture which had the capacity to boost Abia’s internally generated revenue.

Ogbonna commended the state government for organising a training programme that would aid in addressing unemployment in the state.

In a remark, Mr Chizuru Kanu, a legal practitioner, urged the people of Abia to embrace mushroom farming in order to expand the market in the state.

According to Kanu, mushroom is highly nutritive, can replace meat in one’s diet and an effective way to combat bad cholesterol.

In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Ikechukwu Udo, said that he was pleased to be part of the training.

Udo said that it would enable him to create another source of income.

He said that the benefits of mushroom farming were enormous, adding that every youth ought to tap into the opportunity provided by the state government.


Another trainee who pleaded anonymity, said that the training was an opportunity for unemployed people in the state to become self-reliant.  

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