For years, the cultivated mushroom sector has been unable to pass its production costs on to the next links in the chain to the extent it needed to, and the current inflation crisis has arrived with it already in a much weakened position. Thus, the current situation of constant and sustained sharp increases in costs, which is not expected to end soon, has finally put the sector in check.
Aitor Sanzol at the stand of Ayecue-The Real Green Food at Fruit Attraction 2022
"The production, rather from being on a growth path, is declining, as many growers, especially smaller companies, have been unable to cope with the extra costs and have decided to stop cultivating," says Aitor Sanzol, deputy general manager of Ayecue, under the brand The Real Green Food.
"We need to be able to pass costs on to make the sector sustainable; however, this crisis is showing that passing costs on isn't the only requirement. We need strong, integrated structures that will allow for closer control over the value chain," said Aitor Sanzol.
Ayecue produces around 14 million kilos of mushrooms per year. "We have plenty of experience in the cultivation and marketing of cultivated mushrooms. We have our own Phase III composting plant - one of only two such plants in Spain - as well as a modern, fully refrigerated packing plant," he says. "Six hundred and twenty-five families are directly involved in the cultivation, harvesting and handling of our mushrooms; and many more indirectly."
According to Aitor Sanzol, "there is already starting to be a clear shortage of mushrooms in the markets, not only in Spain, but also across Europe, with the productions of major players such as Poland or the Netherlands very much affected, and with sales prices that continue to rise. In fact, so far we have focused on supplying the domestic market, with small quantities going to Morocco, France or Portugal, but we are now seeing an increase in the demand outside our borders, even from Italy, where we had never exported."
"Mushroom consumption has been growing steadily for some years, especially among young people, and is increasingly used in the kitchen and, therefore, it is more present on fruit and vegetable shelves. Consumers are also becoming more and more familiar with exotic and wild mushroom varieties that used to be quite impossible to find," says the deputy director general of The Real Green Food. "Despite the current inflationary situation, there continues to be demand, so we are forced to create the necessary mechanisms to satisfy it."
"Given this situation and the compromised product availability, everything points to the fact that a small revolution is starting in the sector. In this context, our control over the value chain, together with our spirit and capacity to adapt (what we call resilience today), is going to allow us to become a key player in the coming times when it comes to the production and marketing of cultivated fresh mushrooms," says Aitor Sanzol.
For more information:
Aitor Sanzol
Ayecue-THE REAL GREEN FOOD
M: +34 652804147
[email protected]
www.therealgreenfood.com/
