Kenya - Business creation project

Décrivez votre projet en quelques mots

Eldoret Mushroom Team specializes in the production of high-quality spawn. We major in oyster and white button spawn. Packaging ranges from 100 ml to 10 l to cater to all kinds of customers. Training services are also offered for new mushroom farmers.

01.01 Décrivez votre projet en détail

Eldoret Mushroom Team dedicated the last two years to developing quality mushroom spawn for white button and oyster mushrooms. After 6 month-piloting-stage period, we are ready to roll out our products. For the Oyster spawn, the packaging volumes are 100 ml, 500 ml, 1 l, 2 l, 5 l, and 10 l. For the white button Mushrooms, the packaging ranges from 1l, 5l, 10 l, and 15 l. The packaging material is polypropylene. The 100 ml and 500 ml Oyster spawn are for those costumers who grow mushroom for fun and for home consumption. For both oyster and white button, the 1 l and 2 l volumes are targeted at new entrants who still want to learn the art. Volumes above 5 l are targeted at commercial mushroom farmers. We have served customers from North rift, South rift, Nyanza, Western, Central, and Coastal regions of Kenya. We have also received interest in our products from Zimbabwe.

01.02 Quel est le problème principal que vous essayez de résoudre ?

The challenges of mushroom spawn in Kenya are threefold: high cost, inadequate supply, and low quality. Most spawns are imported, making them expensive and discouraging many potential mushroom farmers. This dependency also makes the supply vulnerable to disruptions and currency fluctuations, leading to shortages that deter willing farmers. Even trained farmers are hesitant to adopt mushroom farming due to these problems. Additionally, quality problems arise from delays between spawn production and use by farmers. Enhancing local production capacity will address these challenges.

01.03 Dites-nous quels sont les principaux avantages et/ou bénéfices de l'utilisation du produit/service que vous souhaitez fournir par votre projet (au moins 3).

Currently, white button spawns are available in 15 l capacities because they are imported. We have made it more flexible by providing 1 l and 5 l in addition to the 15 l. Smaller volumes are useful for commercial farmers who need extra spawn after using up their initial supply. This is particularly crucial since compost preparation is labor-intensive, and it's essential to ensure all compost is used without being left unspawned due to an exhausted initial supply. There will also be a shorter time between the production of the spawn and its use by the farmers. This will guarantee quality. Oyster spawns available, are packaged in glass bottles with a maximum capacity of 1.5 l. The main disadvantage of this packaging is its fragility, making it unsuitable for long-distance transportation. Further, many commercial farmers normally require above 30 litres. This is inconvenient given that the maximum capacity is 1.5 l.

01.04 Veuillez décrire précisément à qui s'adressera le produit/service de votre projet. Quels sont les bénéficiaires visés ?

Our spawn will be bought by the mushroom growers. There are different categories of mushroom growers as reflected by the different volumes. First category are the commercial mushroom farmers. This category will require the large volumes of the spawn. Another category is those who grow mushrooms for home consumption. This second category is grossly under-served in the current market.

01.05 Quand avez-vous commencé à travailler sur votre projet ?

01/10/2021

01.06 Combien y a-t-il de propriétaires sur votre projet en plus de vous ?

3

01.07 Parmi les autres propriétaires, combien sont des femmes ?

1

01.08 Veuillez décrire le profil des autres propriétaires de votre projet (compétences, expérience, etc.).

Mr. Jackton Onyango Mr. Onyango has extensive experience in mushroom farming spanning 40 years. His presence greatly boosts the confidence in our products by our customers. Miss Caroline Caroline has a BSc, In Microbiology with extensive experience in tissue culture a skill needed in Spawn manufacturing.

01.09 Si vous avez un site web, une page sur les médias sociaux (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin...) ou une application, veuillez fournir le(s) lien(s) ici :

01.10 Quel est le secteur d'activité qui décrit le mieux votre projet ?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Pas de pauvreté'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.01.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

The availability of mushroom spawn will spur economic growth in rural and peri-urban regions of Kenya. Many initiatives to alleviate rural poverty have been directed at training the residents on mushroom farming. The biggest hindrance to the success of such programs is the lack of a consistent supply of mushroom spawn.

02.02.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Faim Zéro'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.02.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Ease of mushroom farming occasioned by readily available spawn will be a source of livelihood for many families hence reducing hunger.

02.03.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Bonne Santé et Bien Être'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.03.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Mushroom itself is a crop with many health benefits. This will be particularly true for those buying the spawn for home consumption. Alternative sources of livelihood in mushroom farming will raise the standard of living for the mushroom farmers thus raising their well-being.

02.04.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Éducaiton de Qualité'

5

02.04.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Income from mushroom production is enough to enable those practicing it to cater to their own educational needs and those of those dependent on them

02.05.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Égalité entre les Sexes'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.05.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Mushroom farming is amenable to women empowerment since it does not require one to have large tracts of land. Land ownership is one of the problems curbing women progress.

02.06.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Eau Propre et Assainissement'

3

02.06.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

02.07.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Énergie Propre et Abordable'

4

02.07.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

02.08.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Travail Décent et Croissance Économique'

6

02.08.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Those directly employed in the spawn production labs will be able to get a decent work. Further, due to lack of job opportunities many rural residents and especially women engage in livelihood activities such beer brewing and firewood collection. Making it easy to grow mushrooms due to easy access to spawn will draw out many people from such engagements and hence achieve decent work.

02.09.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Industrie, Innovaiton et Infrastructure'

5

02.09.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Spawn production has many avenues for innovation. There are still many more mushroom types from Africa that have not yet been artificially cultivated. This will be our target after fully establishing the current enterprize

02.10.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Réduction des Inégalités'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.10.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

02.11.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Villes et Communautés Durables'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.11.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

The smaller sized packages are amenable to city dwellers who want to grow their own mushrooms for consumption.

02.12.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Consommation et Production Responsable'

3

02.12.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Mushroom production is done using mainly farm wastes. These would have otherwise decayed and GHG.

02.13.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Luttle contre les Changements Climatiques'

5

02.13.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

As i have already alluded to, farm wastes are use as the principal raw materials for mushroom production.. These would have otherwise been taken to land fills or burnt thus contributing to GHG. Producing more spawn where there are local farmers would help reduce the long distance transportation thus contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions from planes.

02.14.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Sous-Marine'

3

02.14.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

02.15.01 Mon projetp contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Terrestre'

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

02.15.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

Many prospective people who will take up mushroom farming are currently involved in economic activities that harm the environment. Many women have abandoned firewood selling due to practicing mushroom cultivation.

02.16.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Paix, Justice et Institutions Efficaces'

5

02.16.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

In areas where mushroom farming is done, farmers form groups that enable them serve the market well. Through this, there is more peace even in regions that was previously conflict prone.

02.17.01 Mon projet contribue à l'objectif 'Parteneriats pour la Réalisation des Objectifs'

6

02.17.02 Justification de la contribution de mon projet

There will be a strong partnership with non-governmental organizations that promote rural development through woman empowerment. Many NGOs train women in mushroom production but fail to give a constant supply of spawn. Eldoret Mushroom Team will fill this void.

05.01 Il existe un grand nombre de clients qui utilisent déjà un produit/service très similaire à celui que nous envisageons de créer.

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

05.02 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer représente un type de produit/service entièrement nouveau

3

05.03 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer pourrait être décrit comme une nouvelle technologie

1 - Pas du tout d'accord

05.04 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer est une amélioration d'un produit ou d'un service existant

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

05.05 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer pourrait être décrit comme une extension d'une gamme de produits ou de services

3

05.06 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer répond à une demande ou à un besoin qui n'a pas été satisfait par d'autres produits/services.

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

05.07 Le produit/service que nous voulons créer est une nouvelle version d'un ancien produit/service

3

05.08 Justification de mon projet

1. There are indeed mushroom farmers already who import their own spawn. 2. The main improvement is the better packaging. 3. There is a demand among the for-fun growers. Smaller sizes enable small-scale production for subsistence.

05.09 Qui sont vos principaux potentiels concurrents et qu'est-ce qui vous différencie d'eux ?

Sylvan They are located in South Africa. Positioning ourselves locally will be our major advantage. Jomo Kenyatta University Though they are still our collaborators, they have major weakness in bureaucracy. Furhter, our type of packaging is more convenient.

10.06 Menez-vous des actions au sein de votre communauté pour promouvoir le rôle des femmes entrepreneurs ?

Yes I have introduced mushroom farming primarily to women.