MUSHROOM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING FOR SUSTAINABLE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

presented at

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND EXHIBITIONON AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

04 – 08 November, 2013, SERENA HOTEL – KAMPALA, UGANDA

by

byYOUTH 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 U

ganda

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 faced1. Lack of a well-equipped processing plant with exact and massive production equipments2. Inadequate startup capital3. Competition from well-established international companies4. Unfavorable policies on agribusiness financing5. Unstable business cash flow

How to attract and retain youth agribusiness.Attracting and retaining the youth in any agribusiness sector is an urgent taskat 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.

Thank You Very Much