At the end of a year or at the start of a new one it is always a good thing to look back and forward. Look at it as an evaluation and re-focussing of targets. It is also a good time to give yourself and your team a feedback.
Looking back to 2021 it was a year of great challenges. We had our normal variations in compost and casing soil quality. It still is impossible to predict the weather so we still will have to cope with changes in raw materials due to the weather. And reacting to that always comes too late.

Mushroom Team and products
Mertens supplies their products to professional agriculture, garden retail and landscaping.
All divisions have their specific sales and customer services teams which enable them to offer customized products and services. Furthermore customer loyalty and expertise are one of the strong pillars of Mertens. A dedicated Mushroom team is handling the mushroom sector in more than 41 countries. Mertens offers a complete package of products for growers and tunnel companies: biocontrol, films, cultivation, compost and sliding mats, fogging equipment, scales and hygiene products. They have a clear offline strategy with their experienced sales team and online with their extensive webshop. Thanks to their knowledge and expertise, they are able to advise their customers in the best possible way. Due to their large network and collaboration with partners, Mertens supports their customers in the whole process of mushroom growing.

Who are part of this successful team?

Rob Wilbers, Sales Manager Mushrooms
Rob’s career in the Mushroom Industry started already at a very young age as his parents owned a mushroom farm. He wanted to gain some more in depth experience and personal growth within a different company and started his individual route at Mertens in the early 80’s.
He started out as a warehouse worker and worked his way up the Mushroom Ladder. In 1986 he started to further develop the mushroom segment. He quickly saw the opportunities and the future of mushrooms abroad and travelled to various countries to further expand the business. Currently his focus is on the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Rumania and Croatia.
Rob celebrates his 40 year working anniversary next year, a great milestone and achievement!

Björn Beurskens, Account Manager Mushrooms
Björn was born and raised in Horst, the South of the Netherlands, and the centre of mushroom farming. He decided to study Hospitality Management and began his career as cook and host in various restaurants. After a few detours in other branches he started at Mertens 13 years ago, of which 7 years within the mushroom team. His working area covers the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and all other countries outside Europe. His focus is giving mushroom cultivation advice, and we know for sure that you can call him anytime for a delicious (mushroom) recipe.    

Bobby Minten, Customer Service Employee
Mushrooms are a big part of the family history of Bobby Minten, as his grandparents owned a mushroom farm. In his teenage years he worked in horticulture and greenhouses. After high school he decided to get a bachelor degree in commercial economics. Bobby joined Mertens about 8 years ago and first worked in the warehouse for half a year and then joined the back office. During his time in the back office he grew in his role and after 4 years, in 2018, he got the opportunity to start in the Mushrooms customer service department.
His area of responsibility is handling and processing all incoming orders and export documentation for the mushroom segment worldwide. Furthermore he handles worldwide incoming requests from new customers for other segments within Mertens.

For more info and contact details click here!

Mushrooms that grow between the 1st and 2nd break are called tweeners or in between mushrooms. They are very hard mushrooms because they had a lot of water at the end of the breaks but will discolor fast, once picked, because of that water. They are, however, white inside and are therefore extremely suitable to use for slicing. Many farms worldwide are growing tweeners, only to use them for their sliced product. However, if you have a lot of tweeners it can have a negative effect on the quantity of pins in 2nd breaks. You need to control the amount of tweeners that grow out and spread them out nicely over the whole shelf. If some spots have many tweeners together the 2nd break will not be able to develop well, and yield will be lost. On some farms I see harvest managers making some extra yield with tweeners but not realizing enough that that extra yield gets lost in the 2nd breaks, where you normally pick you nicest quality mushrooms.

That doesn’t mean you can’t grow tweeners. Some farms use them to control the quantity of the pins in 2nd breaks. Just by leaving them nicely spread over the beds you can control the amount of 2nd break mushrooms. Clean the beds good after the 1st break, don’t pick for 2 days and on the 3rd, day manage it well controlling the in between break. If you see the 2nd break coming up spontaneously you can leave some more tweeners, if the 2nd break is struggling on some spots, you must open the in between break up and pick some more there. That need to be planned and managed good to get the best benefits out of the total production.

Erik de Groot
Global Agriculture Services
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the beginning of this year, EuroMycel welcomed a new sales manager to their team, Jeroen Dunant. He has a broad experience in sales within the green industry.

Jeroen is responsible for the North European market, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
United Kingdom and Ireland. His main focus is to explore new markets and develop new opportunities for the mycelium products. In particular for the E58 premium mycelium for the fresh mushroom market and the E58 HD for the mechanized market. EuroMycel is a French company that produces mycelium situated in Touraine, home of the royal chateaux of France and cradle of the Champignon de Paris.

In 2010 EuroMycel was taken over by the Bonduelle Group, which enabled them to invest and develop new equipment and laboratories. EuroMycel is a strong player in the Bonduelle Group with a 2,7 miljard revenue last year. The director of the company, Frédéric Mathieu, reports directly to Bonduelles’ management and is therefore able to make quick decisions and direct the growth even more efficiently.

Jeroen works intensively with growers and compost companies. To sell the mycelium, but also invest in tests with the compost companies to improve the quality of compost in the growing companies.

If you have any questions for Jeroen, you can contact him via:

Jeroen Dunant
Sales Manager Northern Europe
Tel: (+31) 6 82183632
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.euromycel.com

When you think of mushrooms, you often think of spring. But do you also know why so many mushrooms can be found in the autumn? This is because it generally rains a lot in the autumn while the temperature is still fairly high. Then it is moist and warm and mushrooms love that. Of course they stand out because of their beautiful colors and the most famous and one of the most colorful is of course the Amanita Muscaria, but which is not edible!
They can be found in all colors but the Lactarius Indigo with its appearance, is a very special one. Commonly known as the Indigo Milk Cap, this blue mushroom grows most in North Africa, Central America and East Asia. The Lactarius Indigo grows on the ground in both deciduous and coniferous forests. The color of the fruiting body and also the milk that oozes when the mushroom tissue is cut, is indigo blue.

If you have read the foregoing you would think that this must be a very poisonous mushroom. But despite its color, this mushroom is not poisonous and completely edible. They have a bitter, peppery taste. When you cook them, the taste is similar to a portobello. Lactarius indigos lose some of their blue color during cooking and turn greyish-blue. You can use them for example, in a grilled dish or in a soup. But in whatever dish you use this beautiful mushroom, the dish looks heavenly.

Credits for photo: Dan Molter/Wikimedia Commons

In 2020, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVMA) conducted targeted inspections of dark cultivations: mushroom cultivation and chicory forcing. Ultimately, 93 percent complied with the rules regarding the use of cultivation protection products. That is close to the target of 95 percent compliance. But this end result was only achieved after inspected companies were given the opportunity to repair imperfections. 10 of the 27 inspected companies did this to succeed. Despite this, there were also two companies that did not have their affairs in order.

NVWA inspectors conducted targeted farm inspections in 2020 on 27 farms with dark cultivations (17x for mushrooms). The focus during these inspections was on the use of plant protection products and biocides.

Imperfections in administration
The results of these targeted inspections show that almost 93 percent of the inspected companies follow the rules regarding the use of plant protection products. This 93 percent is approaching the target of at least 95 percent compliance. However, this favorable final picture was only achieved after the inspected companies took advantage of the opportunity to repair imperfections. This happened at a dozen companies, which mostly involved administrative matters. The most common deficiencies related to the cultivation protection monitor, the biocides administration and the return of expired products.

Twice on report
In addition, there were still two companies where enforcement action was taken. This means that a report of findings has been drawn up by the inspectors. A written warning was also issued once, because the company had not had its affairs in order according to regulations. An administrative fine may be imposed on the basis of a report of findings.

High recovery rate
Although the final picture of 93 percent compliance produces a positive picture, the NVWA finds the number of companies that had to repair deficiencies quite high. The NVWA is therefore exploring possibilities to increase awareness of the administrative obligations among growers.

Source: Nederlandse Voedsel- en Waren Authoriteit (NVMA), in DUTCH.

The organizer of the Exhibition-Conference is UMDIS Mushroom Information Agency of Eastern Europe.
The event was sponsored by Agaris, Amycel, Agro-Project, World of Straw, Mexeo, Mushroom Team, Vierrebi, Alpie, DMP, GTL Europe, Hoving Holland.

This time Ukrainian Mushroom Days brought together not only Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian farms – but delegations from the largest farms in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, becoming an industry event not only for Eastern Europe, but also for Central Asia.
The event gathered 350 people from 20 countries!
There were 55 companies-exhibitors and the program of Conference combined 27 speakers, two great discussions with Monterey and Mushroom Council.

Please click here to get an impression of the event.

By Maksym Yenchenko, Director of UMDIS Mushroom Information Agency

Introduction
In the three previous years in the Ukrainian mushroom business was a clear tendency towards the enlargement of farms, a continuing shift in focus from production to marketing, technology improvement and an increase in Phase III compost share. COVID-19 and related restrictions have significantly impacted the mushroom market. The main concern of mushroom farms - low product price- has become even more complex over the past few years. The first half of 2021 was marked with especially low prices, which, considering the background of increasing costs on business maintenance, did not allow many farms to maintain profitability. But there are reasons to be optimistic about the future - the consumption volumes of mushrooms are constantly growing, and sooner or later, the market will stabilize at an acceptable price. But for this to happen earlier, the forum participants will have to make some efforts.

The Covid-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic made many farms reconsider the way they did business. The total quarantine introduced in March-April 2020 was incredibly shocking.
At one moment, all markets and public catering establishments were closed, some restrictions were introduced in grocery stores, and in general, people tried not to leave their homes. The demand for mushrooms collapsed at once, and with it, sales and prices. All farmers starters canceling compost orders, and many hundreds of tons of compost had to be thrown away. At the same time, the prospects were not clear. But after the initial shock, by the end of March, new supply chains were up and running, and there was a clear need to start making decisions about the next strategic steps.
It is essential to note the difference between the Ukrainian market and most EU countries’ markets. In the European Union, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and many other countries, the demand for mushrooms has increased with the quarantine introduction. People stopped visiting restaurants, but demand in supermarkets has grown by more than had declined by catering establishments - because people started cooking at home. And farms in Europe felt, and still feel, increased demand for mushrooms. The main problems that quarantine brought them are mostly in the areas of labor resources and logistics. In Ukraine, quarantine restrictions undermined demand, and the price had to be reduced to at least sell the mushrooms. This indicates that we have a lot to work on to popularize mushrooms for households.
In profit were those farms who took the risk in March and April 2020, filled growing rooms with compost, and eventually came out with the great harvest in May 2020. The quarantine restrictions were significantly eased, and demand recovered a bit. At the same time, there was little mushroom on the market, and the price soared to values 2-2.5 times higher than it was in April. But this happy time did not last long, even for those who took a chance. Already in July, the price dropped to its normal values. And those rates were not very joyful.
When the supply on the market increases yearly, there is practically no export, actions to popularize the product are minimal- we can’t expect good prices.

Production
At the last exhibition conference, which was held in the summer of 2018, we announced the volumes of champignon production in 2017 in Ukraine. In 2017, 51.3 thousand of tons of champignon were grown in Ukraine.
Has production volumes increased since then? Yes, and quite significantly!
In 2017, according to UMDIS estimates, the Ukrainian market received 203,000 of tons of compost for mushroom growing. According to our estimates, this year, in 2021, the Ukrainian market will receive 236,000 tons of compost, meaning that 4-year growth is significant - 16%! But that’s not all. In addition to the increase in the amount of compost used, two more factors influenced the increase in the total amount of champignon collected by farms in Ukraine.
Firstly, the share of Phase III compost in the production structure has increased significantly. If in 2017 Phase III in Ukraine was 7% of the total amount of used compost, then in 2020 it was 23%, in 2021, according to forecasts, the share of Phase III compost will be 37%, and in 2022 - not less than 43%.
And even though the harvests obtained using Phase III compost are not yet record-breaking in Ukraine. These amounts still significantly exceed the harvests obtained using Phase II compost. Also, with Phase III, massive diseases are much less likely to occur, significantly affecting the overall yield.
Secondly, an overall improvement in compost quality and in the skills of mushroom growers contributes to an increase in mushroom production. And as a consequence - an increase in the average yield.
Thus, we can confidently say that the amount of mushrooms offered on the market has increased by about 20% over the past 4 years. And all this volume was almost entirely consumed by the domestic market!

Prices and expenses
Compared to 2017, in 2020, the average selling price of champignon increased by 12% - although the incomes of the population over the same period increased by almost 50%, and inflation for was about 40%. Considering the inflation, the price of champignon has decreased by an alarming 20% in 4 years!
At the same time, prices are very unstable. Since the beginning of 2020, the minimum and maximum prices have differed by almost three times. And if we take practically any 3-month period, we can see price fluctuations by 1,5-2 times.
One of the main reasons for price fluctuations is the situation on the market when already grown mushrooms are being sold. The price and volume are determined “for today” or “for tomorrow” by a specific seller and buyer, and if the supply of the mushroom turns out to be excessive, prices can collapse very quickly, and if insufficient, they can rise just as quickly. Considering all this market characteristics, it isn’t easy to maintain a stable and predictable business.
Production costs have increased drastically over the past few years. Staff costs increased by 20-50%, electricity costs by 20-30%, gas and other energy resources costs by 20-50%, and compost costs increased on average by 30%. In 2021, the rise in prices for raw materials and energy resources continued. Especially gas prices, which have rapidly risen three times in 2021! And for those farms that use gas for heating, this increases costs by about 2 UAH per kg.

Number of farms
Decrease in profitability, and in many cases, work “into the red” forced several farms, primarily small ones, to leave the market. About 30 farms and entrepreneurs that cultivated champignon in 2017 stopped growing champignon in 2018-2020. Several farms have been sold and are or will be functioning, but with new owners.
The total number of farms with more or less permanent production in 2021 is estimated by UMDIS at 290.
There have been no significant new production openings over the past three years, but many large farms have increased their capacity - some due to the transition to Phase III compost, others due to an expansion. Or both of those at the same time.
The five largest Ukrainian farms produce about 23% of the total production volumes in the country, and the top ten - about 35% in total.

Export
With regret, we have to admit that there has not been any progress in the export of mushrooms, but there is a significant drop. So, if in 2017 Ukrainian farmers exported 528 tons of champignon (about 1% of total production volume), then in 2020, the export of champignon from Ukraine was only 205 tons, of which 143 tons went to Moldova and 61 tons - to Belarus.
At the same time, mushrooms for freezing mainly went to Belarus (with a correspondingly low price). Eight deliveries were made in January-March 2020, and after that all deliveries stopped. And there is no particular hope for the resumption of supplies to Belarus due to the lowered prices and the surplus of mushrooms in Belarus itself. There are no supplies to Russia primarily because of the ban since 2014, but now also because prices on the Russian market have also dropped sharply due to overproduction.
The largest market for Ukraine was and remained the European Union, but Ukrainian farmers have not yet been able to use this opportunity. Obstacles on the way to efficient supplies, areas before - certification, packaging, small and unstable supply volumes and insufficient marketing on the EU markets. The export of champignon from Ukraine to the EU countries in recent years has been very stable and is equal to zero.
The Ukrainian market remains reliably protected from imports by low domestic prices. The import of fresh champignon in 2020 was a little more than 1 ton - mainly deliveries of 100 kg at a time, imported by companies together with an assortment of other vegetables.
Here, I would like to note the success in the export of one of the companies from Western Ukraine that grows shiitake - its products are sent to the countries of Western Europe in full and in pretty large volumes. The farm management initially oriented their business towards export and coped with the task perfectly. Which is an excellent example to all mushroom producers!

Champignon market in 2021 in figures (UMDIS analytics)
Number of operating mushroom farms: 290 (estimate)
The amount of compost used by Ukrainian farms (2020): 227,000 tons
Share of Phase III compost production: 23% (37% in 2021)
Export of compost for mushroom growing: 17 400 tons
Import of compost for mushroom growing: 0
Champignon production in Ukraine: 61,000 tons
Share of brown champignons from total production volumes: 5%
Export of fresh champignons: 205 tons (207 tons in 6 months 2021)
Import of fresh champignons: 1.3 tons
Processed champignons (canned, frozen, dried) 3 600 tons
The average yield on Phase II compost: approx. 27% (23 kg / m2)
The average yield on Phase III compost: approx. 32% (27 kg / m2)
Mycelium used: 2.4 million liters
Including locally produced 1.6 million liters
Import production 0.8 million liters
The average price of mushrooms from the farm: 34.7 UAH / kg incl. VAT
Average selling price in retail chains: 45.0 UAH / kg incl. VAT