Bencom Youth

Bencom Youth Enterprise Association (BYEA) have successfully used the BUSAC ‘vehicle’ to convince the Food Research Institute (FRI), the official institution in Ghana with the mandate to supervise and certify all set-ups of spore production; to extend their services to mushroom production centers in and around Techiman.

The Techiman area has a number of farmers engaged in mushroom production. Some of these farmers have come together to form associations to foster the well-being of their businesses. There are about 40 associations involved with the production of mushrooms and BYEA, recognizing the absence of a certified spore production facility as a major barrier to the expansion and growth of the mushroom production business in the Brong Ahafo region, mobilized about 24 other mushroom producer associations and farmers in the Techiman area to successfully advocate the FRI to invest in the certification process for a spore production center for mushroom farmers in the area.

The BYEA through this initiative with BUSAC support, have succeeded in establishing one FRI Certified Spore Production center at Techiman. One requirement for the FRI certification was the availability of the required technical know-how permanently present at the spawn production facility.

BYEA and the other associations therefore supported the BYEA President, Mr. Bernard Bempah in efforts to enhance his technical skills in mushroom cultivation, which culminated in Bernard undertaking specialized spawn production training and education in the United States.

This initiative has added an important value of spore technology to the private sector community in Techiman. Moreover, today, through this advocacy initiative, there are more than 350 young men and women within the Techiman area actively engaged in mushroom production. There is an expansion of jobs in mushroom production for the youth in the area and improved incomes for these mushroom farmers from improved technology and produce quality. Moreover, the advocacy capacity of BYEA and the other associations have been enhanced for further useful advocacy work.