Demand continues to increase for mushrooms.
“The overall demand is strong, and it has been that way for quite awhile now,” says Brenda Barney of Mountain View Mushrooms in Fillmore, Utah. “The last three weeks of December and the first two weeks of January are our busiest times of the year.” She adds that the Redwood Shores, Ca.-based Mushroom Council reported that last year, mushrooms were up in sales by almost six percent. Meanwhile, produce as a whole was only up three percent. “They’re outpacing the whole produce department,” she adds. “Mushrooms have been gaining popularity for several years.”
There are a few factors Barney attributes the growth in demand for mushrooms, including media reports about the health benefits of mushrooms and TV and online chefs incorporating them regularly into their dishes. “The winter demand has always been strong for us. However the last couple of years, the summer was good as well,” she says. “The winter demand begins the first of November and just continues to increase until the middle of January.”
Good supplies
“We have plenty of mushrooms right now,” says Barney. “We usually see a decline in demand the middle of January and then it comes back around in the spring. It’s a normal cycle for this time of year.”
While pricing tends to be relatively flat on mushrooms—Barney notes it doesn’t foresee a price increase in the near future—pricing right now on mushrooms is the strongest it has ever been, she adds.
Looking ahead, she also sees even more demand coming for Mountain View, which supplies white, crimini and portobello mushrooms to largely foodservice clients. “Super Bowl will give us a push and Valentine’s Day and then it will slow a little until Easter,” she says. “We are looking forward to another great year.”
For more information:
Brenda Barney
Mountain View Mushrooms
Tel: +1 (435) 767-0050
brenda@mountainviewmushrooms.com
www.mountainviewmushrooms.com