Spain: European production of wild mushrooms, just enough to meet demand

The production of wild species is something that cannot be controlled and this leads to uncertainty as to the volume that can be reached each year. However, "in the last ten years, for our part, we have been witnessing an average growth of 15% per year," explains José A. Folgado, manager of the company Hongos de Zamora.

In any case, Europe, in general, is a major consumer of wild mushrooms, and "although we have also made some sales in the United States, Canada or Japan, it has not been a regular thing," comments Folgado. The fact is that the great demand from Europe results in little availability for other markets outside the continent. "We must ensure that we have a responsible growth and we cannot leave a customer without a product that we already have for trying to open markets in other parts of the world," adds Folgado.

The main objective of this Zamora-based company is to be able to supply its customers in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal and Spain all year round. 

"It is necessary to take into account that the peak season is usually the autumn in the northern hemisphere, and besides the Spanish and Portuguese stocks, we also resort to other producer countries, such as Poland, Bulgaria, Romania or Serbia, to guarantee the supply to our customers," points out Folgado.

"A total of between 800 and 1,000 tonnes of mushrooms, both fresh and frozen, are currently being shipped every year," explains Folgado, and of this amount, between 60 and 65% is intended for Spanish consumption. As for the price, given that it is a wild product, and also with challenging logistics, it is higher than that of cultivated mushrooms. "The average price amounts to around 20 Euro per kilo, and although the transport is expensive because of the conditions it needs, it pays off."