Mushroom business tackles malnutrition challenges

Eco-Agro Enterprise (PTY) LTD is a company focused on the crop production of mushrooms. 

But for Sibongile Nkala who is the owner of the business, her focus is to contribute to addressing malnutrition, food and protein insecurities, and provide easy access to various mushroom species in the country and beyond. 

The desire to ensure that South Africans are healthy prompted Nkala to produce mushroom-based baby food, patties, spreads, sauces and yoghurt with the help of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). 

“Malnutrition is a pressing issue, and most of our value-added products seek to address this issue directly. Most of our products contain milk, and the nature of milk has calcium as a major element and partial protein. 

“However, milk lacks essential elements such as iron and zinc which are critical for the human body. All our value-added products contain mushroom extracts that have high levels of these essential elements including protein,” she said. 

The 37-year-old added that her business had a special interest in ensuring that babies receive the required nutrients. 

“We developed baby food, particularly so that babies have a strong immune system at a very young age leading to low chances of regular sickness.” 

Armed with a Diploma in Food Processing, Nkala and her team have developed about seven mushroom based products. 

“Including the baby food we also have also developed drinking yoghurts, biscuits, cheese spread, candy, salted butter, and ice cream.” 

Eco-Agro Enterprise (PTY) LTD – based in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal has had its fair share of entrepreneurial challenges which include product development and access to funding. 

“Research and development require high production input so high financial injection was required.” 

The company had to develop numerous samples and receive training to ensure that the final product would be well received by customers. The TIA was the major role player in developing Eco-Agro Enterprises (PTY) LTD. 

“The TIA has played a huge role in the development of all these products. TIA funded the development and refinement of our technology, MushMag 5000, that we use to produce our mushrooms, those mushrooms are the source of the extracts used in these products,” she said. 

At least three young women are employed at the fledgling business with plans to employ more young women as the business grows with plans of setting up a factory. 

“Beyond the love and impact of my work, my vision is to see these products not only on retailers’ shelves in South Africa but beyond. Until then, I will continue putting in the work to scale,” Nkala concluded.

For more information about Eco-Agro Enterprise PTY LTD visit their Facebook page as Eco-Agro Enterprise (PTY) LTD or www.eco-agroenterprise.co.za     

The TIA can be reached on www.tia.org.za 

Did you know the TIA is an agency of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.