By Magda Verfaillie, Mycelia RWANDA
Kigali Farms in the land of a thousand hills
The word ‘Rwanda’ still may not immediately conjure up visions of stunning natural beauty, volcanoes or gorillas. And certainly not professional mushroom cultivation. But get ready to think again
R
wanda is a central African republic a few degrees south of the equator, covering an area smaller than Belgium. It is located in the Alber- tine Rift, a region where tectonic movements are gradually splitting the Somali Plate away from the rest of the African continent. As a result, in the north, on the border with Congo, you can find a series of active volcanoes, inclu-
ding the Virunga, which is famous for its gorilla population. The many mountains and hills (another name for Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills) have a mild climate, similar to Southern Europe. The first thing many people associate with the name ‘Rwanda’ is the brutal genocide of 25 years ago, when nearly one mil- lion people were massacred because of their ethnic background. But it's very hard today to image that this peaceful country was the scene of such atrocities.
At Kigali Farms, growing white mushrooms is a labour-intensive process, which is not so bad, as it insures income security for the many families living in the area.
And one thing you certainly wouldn't pair up with the name Rwanda is the commercial culti- vation of white button mushrooms. To my great surprise, at Kigali Farms in Musanze I encounte- red a wonderful mushroom growing farm, operated according to the strictest hygiene regulations. Professionalism is clearly not limited to a certain region.
Socially responsible Discussion between the straw huts for oyster mushroom cultivation. 40 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
Kigali Farms in Musanze was founded in 2010 by Laurent Demuynck, a visionary Belgian entre- preneur who wanted to invest in ethical and socially responsible projects. He chose a site in the northwest of Rwanda, where the climate is cool and humid all year round and therefore perfect for mushroom cultivation. The project is based on three pillars: growing tree oyster mushrooms (long established), growing white button mushrooms (since 2016) and spawn pro- duction (since a year). The farm is a true bles- sing for the region, because it provides, directly or indirectly, employment for hundreds of peo- ple from the surrounding villages. Before Kigali Farms started in Rwanda, oyster mushrooms were grown there, in small commu- nities, according to a rustic method taught by the Chinese. This cultivation method is popular throughout Africa and is used everywhere that has a past link to China. Kigali Farms has cen- tralised and expanded substrate production,
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