The cultivation of mushrooms is becoming a profitable venture for a group of women in Fiji, as highlighted by Nanise Litea, the leader of the Nadawa Methodist Women’s Fellowship. The fellowship, established by the local elders, has 64 women members, although only a few engage actively in mushroom cultivation.
Litea, who has lived in Nadawa for 30 years and has been leading the group for the past two years, noted that their current mushroom project is a result of a skills training workshop held at their church three months ago. The initiative caught the attention of Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya, who observed their progress.
Next week, Minister Tabuya will participate in activities related to the women’s group and is expected to visit the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration to facilitate further mushroom cultivation training.
In addition, Lynda provided two incubators after seeing the success of the fellowship’s mushroom project. According to Litea, some members have been successful in their cultivation efforts.
The mushrooms take about seven days to grow, and they are considered a good crop to cultivate. Although it is a new initiative for the women, they are finding it lucrative as the mushrooms are selling quickly. Currently, the mushrooms are priced at $5 for 500 grams.
While the market poses some challenges, the women of Nadawa are actively marketing their products with support from the minister and are optimistic about increasing their sales.
Litea encouraged other women in their community to join the fellowship to enhance their skills and boost their income through skillful handiwork and mushroom cultivation.