Plans are underway by the federal authorities to establish a Mushroom Training and Development Centre in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) before the end of the year.

The disclosure was made by the state coordinator of Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Mrs. Felicia Chilaka in an exclusive chat with The Tide recently,

She said the development is as a result of a breakthrough made by Dilomat Farms in the spawning and cultivating mushrooms, stressing that is a major scientific discovery that must be encouraged and sustained.

Mrs. Chilaka said specifically that the institute is enthralled by the achievement of Dilomat Farms, as it is the only body that has been able to achieve that.

She said, “Spawning mushrooms is the major thing in mushroom farming and breeding and one unique thing about theirs is the formulation”.

She explained that though the institute is still studying the proposals, the centre when established would serve as a training place for all parts of the country.

On the other hand, the RMRDC coordinator has called for the establishment of farming settlements within the state.

Mrs. Chilaka believed that with the enormous agricultural products in the state, that is one way the government can exploit the products.

Aside that, she noted that farm settlements are capable of empowering farmers and unemployed youths of the state, as they would be fully engaged in farming,

One way to achieve this, she further explained is to identify the products abundant in different parts of the state and building settlements equipped with adequate technology to help in farming and harvesting.

She remarked that by equipping the farmers, the state would have abundant farm produce from the settlements, which will be bought by the government from the farmers and sold at subsidised rates to the public.

This she maintained would reduce the problem of scarcity and storage as products would be readily available all-round the seasons and farmers would be adequately remunerated.