It is also expected to improve and sustain income of mushroom farmers in the community.

The three-year project is funded by the European Union(EU) with an amount of 660,000 Euros while the assembly, Centre for Local Governance Advocacy(CLGA) and Local Government Network (LOGNet), contributed a total of 160,000 Euros.

Launching the project in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development,  Hajia Alima Mahama said  the project would  employ 3000 females and 2500 males including the youth, processors and marketers.

She said it would provide an annual farmer income of about GH¢30,000 within the three-year period.

Hajia Mahama said the project would use community sensitisation programmes and to orient the crop and animal farmers, youth and the general public to see mushroom farming as a viable business venture.

“Potential farmers will be encouraged to adopt mushroom farming as a main activity to contribute to creating employment,” Hajia Mahama said.

According to her, the farmers would undergo capacity building in technologies, record keeping, post harvest management and value addition.

In a bid to promote environmental sustainability, she said agricultural extension and advisory services would be provided to mushroom farmers and users to ensure safe standards of environmental practice.

Hajia Mahama said government would modernise agriculture in order to increase productivity, ensure food security and develop new and stable markets for agricultural products.

“As a government we shall deliver on our promise of creating a strong economy that will create opportunity for new businesses, encourage existing businesses to expand and make investment,” she said.

She entreated the community members to take advantage of the project to earn livelihood.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Moira Nancy Ewa , said the project would improve mushroom productivity by constructing a spawn laboratory with the necessary infrastructure  to boost production and income.

Madam Maria-Luisa Troncoso, a representative of EU, said the project was part of the EU’s support to decentralisation in Ghana, adding that it was a way of promoting local democracy  and local development outcome.

“Local authorities have the potential of reducing and eliminating inequalities in society, creating wealth and jobs as well as tackling a range of other pressing development challenges at the local level,” she said.

Madam Troncoso said, the need to create more jobs has become urgent than ever considering the growing unemployment among the youth, adding that the EU has prioritised the need for creating jobs especially for the youth and women.

Madam Troncoso was optimistic that with the diligence and commitment by all the stakeholders the project would be successful for future development.

By Agnes Opoku Sarpong