Assessment of the availability and affordability of mushroom raw-materials in Ibadan metropolis

Abstract

Mushroom is regarded as mother of all vegetables because of its roles in human nutritional supply with abundant number of essential vitamins, minerals and protein. However, there is dearth of information on what goes into its domestication, therefore this study assessed the availability and affordability of raw-materials for mushroom production in Ibadan metropolis with a view to encourage sustainable production for economic growth. Ibadan metropolis was purposively chosen based on the abundance of various institutions who are actively involved in the production of mushroom and presence of some trained farmers who are into the production. Information was elicited from 36 mushroom producers with the aid of structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Findings revealed that 58.3% respondents rarely had materials for mushroom production whenever they intend to produce, 50% respondents cannot afford relevant materials needed for the production, while 30.5% respondents revealed that spawn production cost between 500-1,000 naira. Also, lack of capital and favourable environment are key factors contribution to no increase in mushroom production. It is therefore recommended that basic and necessary production materials be made available and accessible to producers at subsidized rates. In order to enhance production, credit support should be made available to producers at affordable interest rates.