The first morels of the season were on offer last week in southern Germany. Thus, the domestic forest mushroom campaign has actually started. It will take a while before the first fresh porcini mushrooms and chanterelles from Europe can be offered in market relevant quantities. Also, the trade in fresh forest products is gradually losing importance, in favor of processed products, says specialist marketer and manufacturer Martin Baier of Georg Baier GmbH.
Martin Baier markets fresh produce as well as processed products in southern Germany
The first morels from southern German forests quickly found their way to regional gastronomers, said Baier. For the experienced businessman, however, this is more of a complementary product. "First and foremost, this is a classic specialty that is well received in high-end restaurants and, as they are not continuously available in the shops, they are usually sold at relatively high prices."
For the right merchandise such as porcini mushrooms and chanterelles it is currently too early, but their harvest will start soon. "The prerequisite is, however, that we will now have a lot of rain." Forest mushrooms and fruits need a lot of moisture, otherwise the growth will stop and the harvest will be weak. "Here, the signs currently not so positive:" The weather services already predict another dry summer. In the previous year, the extensive dryness of several products led to a weak to disastrous yield and correspondingly high purchase prices. Now the whole industry is hoping for more growth this year."
The Baier company headquarters in Pressath.
Great importance of forest fruits imports
Imported forest mushrooms dominate events. Almost all chanterelles are currently sourced from Eastern Europe, confirms Baier. "Demand is typically increasing by the end of June, when asparagus are running low and chanterelles are fully available on the market."
Although regional chanterelles grow first and foremost in southern German forests, the regional origin of the product is not significant, according to Baier. "Our company history is based on the regional, Upper Palatinate mushrooms and wild berries: my grandfather started with forest fruits and mushrooms in 1949. Over time, however, the situation has changed completely and today the forest products are only collected in small quantities, mainly because of the shortage of pickers. In Eastern Europe, it is exactly the opposite situation, because the products are still collected there on a large scale."
Currently on the market: fresh morels from Germany.
The earliest porcini mushrooms are expected to hit the market in May. Then there is a small break-in and you will find the mushrooms only in August again increasingly in the trade. Chanterelles, however, are continuously available from May to September. Beyond the complete mushroom assortment, however, there is an overarching challenge, Baier observes. "We see that wild mushrooms are especially popular with the people who grew up with them and less so with the younger generation. Also, the tradition of picking mushrooms in the forest, and the knowledge required for this, is slowly being lost."
Growing assortment of processed products
On the other hand, the processor side benefits from the declining consumption of fresh forest fruits and mushrooms, according to Baier, who is increasingly turning to processed products himself. "High-quality processed cranberries, mushroom products and our jam line are doing quite well, and in my view, fresh and processed products complement each other and create an excellent symbiosis."
For more information:
Georg Baier GmbH
Pilze • Beeren • Konfitüren 
CEO: Martin Baier
Bahnhofstrasse 64
D-92690 Pressath
Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 96 44 / 9 22 0-0
Fax: +49 (0) 96 44 / 9 22 060
eMail: info@baier-online.com
www.baier-online.com