A recent initiative has been launched to cultivate mushrooms rapidly for income generation. Nanise Litea, the leader of the Nadawa Methodist Women’s Fellowship, highlighted the efforts of this group, which emerged from the support of past church leaders. Currently, 64 women are involved in this initiative, with only a few participating in mushroom cultivation.
Having lived in Nadawa for 30 years, Nanise has been leading the group for two years. The mushroom project was established following a hands-on demonstration conducted at their church three months ago, which was attended by Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya.
Next week, the minister will visit to provide further support for women’s groups and participate in the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration, which focuses on mushroom cultivation training. Lynda also supplied two mushroom cultivation machines, recognizing the progress made by the fellowship.
Nanise mentioned that one woman from Nadawa had a successful yield of mushrooms, which typically takes about seven days to mature. She described the initiative as a good way to earn quickly, stating that while it is new to them, the mushrooms are easy to sell.
So far, two batches of mushrooms have been sold, with a third batch planned for sale soon. Each mushroom variety is priced at $5 for 500 grams.
The women are encountering a major challenge with the market currently, but they are making strides with their sales efforts under the guidance of their leaders, including the minister, who is also assisting in selling the mushrooms.
The earnings from this venture provide significant support to their group, and they are striving to expand their marketing efforts. Nanise emphasized the importance of not only relying on traditional employment but also exploring other avenues for income generation for families.
At present, the group is assessing the mushrooms’ quality and is implementing strategies to enhance their yields. Nanise encourages women in the community to join the group to leverage their skills to boost income quickly through mushroom cultivation.