May 24 2007, 17:20

Prices for mushrooms collapsed in Ukraine

The sales prices for champignon and oyster mushroom have significantly decreased in Ukraine. The most noticeably the prices dropped down in Kyiv oblast: today the wholesale prices for oyster mushroom and champignon are $0.7/kg and $0.9/kg respectively. In the beginning of this week the sales were performed within the limits $1.6/kg and $1.3/kg respectively. The prices are declining in the other regions too, but the decline rates are slower.

The specialists of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal, the CIS produce business periodical, point out a number of the observed circumstances. Primarily, the demand for mushrooms has traditionally decreased as a result of early vegetables (cabbage, potato, carrot, table beet) entering the market. Also, in terms of hot weather the mushroom shelf life period has significantly reduced, so that the resellers have to decrease prices in order to speed up the trade.

Observing this situation, most small producers (especially oyster mushroom growers) decide to stop the production until autumn; they consider the mushroom production unprofitable in terms of hot weather and absence of special equipment for climate control in the production premises.

The price collapses have become a scourge for mushroom producers in recent years; some of them are even forced to leave this market. This situation takes place in Ukraine, where the consumption of cultivated mushrooms are 2-3-fold lower than in Western Europe. This year the mushroom producers will gather together for the first time, to discuss the problems of mushroom market, the options to combat low prices, the perspectives of the production development. The conference for mushroom growers will be conducted in the National Complex "Expocenter of Ukraine" in the framework of the exhibition "Mushroom Industry 2007" on June 12th - 14th in Kyiv.