MUSHROOM PRODUCTION AND
PROCESSING FOR SUSTAINABLE
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
presented at
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND EXHIBITION
ON AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
04 – 08 November, 2013, SERENA HOTEL – KAMPALA, UGANDA
by
by
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
(YEED UGANDA)
JOSEPH TAREMWA, BSC. HOT (AGRIC), PRACTICING FARMER,
P.O BOX 27104 Kampala, Uganda
+256-774949776/+256-701949776
Email:joseph.taremwa@gmail.com
Skype:jtaremwa1
Background
Youth Empowerment in Enterprise Development (YEED
Uganda) is
• An agro-based company
• Started in 2009 by the youth while students at MUK
• To equip youths with practical agribusiness
skills for sustainable employment.
We train the youth in mushroom production,
buy from them and process into
mushroom soups and porridges.
YEED Uganda
YEED Uganda
Impact
• Increased mushroom production and introduced new
and high paying varieties like shiitake
• Has created employment opportunities to the youth.
• Trained over 68 youth groups in mushroom
production, practical entrepreneurship skills and
practicing Farming as a Business (FaaB)
• Been recognized both nationally and internationally
by UNCST, younger achievers’ award, ILO etc
• Trained over 68 youth groups in
mushroom production, practical entrepreneurship skills and
practicing Farming as a Business (FaaB)
Challenges faced
1. Lack of a well-equipped processing plant
with exact and massive production equipments
2. Inadequate startup capital
3. Competition from well-established international companies
4. Unfavorable policies on agribusiness financing
5. Unstable business cash flow
How to attract and retain youth agribusiness.
Attracting and retaining the youth in
any agribusiness sector is an urgent task
at hand and requires a multidisciplinary approach.
Policy makers, NGO’s, must articulate a new vision of
agribusiness that can be attractive to the young people and
align with their aspirations and interests.
a) Changing the image and perceptions about
agribusiness in the face of the youth.
b) Access to and affordable agricultural credit is a key
factor.
c) Redirecting the extension system towards Farming
as a Business (FaaB)
d) The government policies should feature the
concerns of the youth in agribusiness sector.
e) Efforts by the government and agri-support
agencies to make inputs such as hybrid seed,
fertilizers, basic mechanization and agricultural
market information available and affordable.