Igniting hope for economic development through mushroom production

Married at a young age and raising four children, Patuma Lifa, a 38-year-old mother, has long relied on agriculture to sustain her family. Yet, declining yields have made survival increasingly difficult.

“Each year our family farm produce has been declining, making it challenging to have enough food to take us to the next harvest,” Lifa explained. On the same piece of land where her family once harvested 30 bags of maize, they now struggle to produce more than 15.

In search of alternatives, Lifa joined the Tiyese Mushroom Group in 2009. At the time, the group cultivated mushrooms and managed to harvest 10 cycles within a year. However, challenges in accessing mushroom seed forced them to stop.

''As a group we tried to diversify our enterprises to support our families,” she recalled.

Her hope was rekindled in 2023 when the Transforming Landscapes and Livelihoods Project (TLLP) supported by the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscape Impact Program (DSL-IP) was introduced in her community. 

“It was a great relief when the project came. It has supported us to revive our mushroom enterprise, and we will be making our first harvest before the end of November,” she said with optimism.

Tiyese Mushroom Group is a predominantly female-led organization of 16 members (14 women and 2 men) based in Chimatiro Village, GVH Chimatiro, TA Sawali, Balaka District.

According to the group’s chairperson, Ms Elicy Lapken, the group initially earned MK 120 000 from the 10 cycles of mushroom sales. However, reluctance among members to reinvest their earnings led to the decline of the enterprise. 

“We shared the proceeds among ourselves, but only a few reinvested in purchasing spawn (mushroom seed). Without adequate seed, production eventually stopped,” she explained.

Despite this setback, the group remained active through Village Savings and Loans (VSL) and farm produce sales.

In 2023, the TLL project conducted a Green Value Chains (GVC) sensitization session with the group, followed by a comprehensive assessment of its organizational capacity, financial management, production potential, infrastructure, and market access. Based on the findings, Tiyese was selected as one of the producer organizations to benefit from the project.

A subsequent capacity needs assessment revealed gaps in technical knowledge and access to production inputs. Training in mushroom production was therefore conducted.

Following the training, the group refurbished its mushroom house, purchasing 500 bricks and hiring a builder using their own contributions. The project complemented these efforts by providing 150 bottles (500ml) of spawn and construction of incubation and fruiting rooms. 

“We are very optimistic that this intervention will benefit not only Tiyese members but also the wider community, both economically and nutritionally,” said Ms Lapken.

Group members have embraced improved techniques introduced by the project, such as using soap to disinfect substrates. Previously, they boiled substrates in drums, consuming large amounts of firewood, thus contributing to environmental degradation.

Mr Thomson Mkwezeka, the District Project Coordinator for Balaka, commended the group’s commitment to sustainable mushroom production. 

“We are proud to have supported the group with essential inputs to upscale their enterprise. Beyond production, we are committed to linking them to sustainable markets for sustainable income generation, improved nutrition, and resilience for the wider community. This intervention is not only rebuilding livelihoods but also positioning Tiyese as a model for women-led agribusiness and environmental restoration in Balaka and beyond,” he said.

With ongoing support, mushroom production is expected to upscale across Balaka and surrounding districts, contributing to both economic empowerment and landscape restoration.

Farmers are projected to earn not less than MK 37.8 million per year from mushroom production, igniting hope for improved livelihoods and sustainable development.

Author: Dailes Banda, Knowledge Management and Communications Officer, DSL-IP Project Management Unit, Malawi