Mushrooms, of late, have been in demand among consumers, especially with “healthy food aficionados” , as it is rich in nutritional value.
Towards this end, young vulnerable men and students from various school on the island, keen on earning a livelihood through agro-entrepreneurship, recently completed a comprehensive programme on the rudiments of mushroom production.
With funding from the Taiwan ICDF, the Ministry of Agriculture collaborated with the Mushroom Collective to host a mushroom workshop, particularly targeting vulnerable young men in the country.
Utilizing the avenue for Increasing Employment Opportunities – through the agro-business mushroom production project the training session was directed to tutor students at the Boys Training Centre, and students from the Centre for Adolescent Renewal and Education (CARE) and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College [SALCC].
The workshop covered theoretical and practical aspects, including mushroom biology, culture and spawn production, food preparation, harvesting, processing, food safety and optimal growing conditions.
Head of the Department for Agro-Entrepreneurship and Climate Smart Agriculture at the SALCC, Dr. Catherine Mc. Caan noted that the hands-on experience in the field allowed the students to actively apply the knowledge garnered from these exercises.
“What we see here is an opportunity for the students to obtain some training in the production of a commodity, which we know has a demand for in Saint Lucia,” said Dr. Mc Caan.
She added that the workshop could offer an opportunity for the participants to get involved in “not value-chained commercial production”.
The SALCC tutor said there are prospects for the farm at the SALCC compound to be utilised by the students to have a grow -house on the farm …and be utilised with staffers at the farm, so they can develop their skills and knowledge and then maybe look at replicating that as an entrepreneur going forward.”
Deputy Director of Agricultural Services, Kemal Jn. Baptiste said the overall objecetive of the workshop is to empower these young men with skills necessary to replicate their learning, paving the way for them to embark on entrepreneurial ventures in the future.
The agro-business Mushroom Production initiative aims to train 50 vulnerable young men by this March, thereby increasing Employment Opportunities for Vulnerable Young Men in Saint Lucia.