Makoi Women’s Fellowship Group reaps 8kg mushroom harvest in first week

Determination has borne fruits for the members of the Makoi Women’s Fellowship Group as they have successfully harvested 8kg of edible mushrooms within a week with the potential to harvest more in coming weeks.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection says earlier this month, Minister Lynda Tabuya along with officials from the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center Team Leader, Lin Xingsheng, met with the Makoi Women’s Fellowship Group to raise awareness on mushroom farming as a sustainable income source for women.

They say Makoi Women’s Fellowship Group was eager and interested to explore this initiative as a viable cash crop in backyard gardens.

The Ministry says a total of 53 women and 2 men participated in the session and each participant was given 20 mushroom tubers to plant in their backyard and since then, 9 tubers were planted from which 270 edible mushrooms were harvested within a week.

They say the tubers can be consistently utilized for three months, after which time they can be ground into soil manure.

The Ministry says in addition, 80 tubers were planted that will produce mushrooms that can be used for medicinal purposes and will be harvested within three months.

Women’s group representative Jokapeci Peau says that one of the struggles for women living in peri-urban areas is trying to meet their everyday needs.

She says the session with China Fiji Juncao Technology Centre has provided the women’s group opportunities to generate income and also a source of food security for their families.

Peau is encouraging all women’s groups living along the Suva -Nausori corridor to explore this initiative as it is an easy way of farming and harvesting takes a week.