Oakfield is a mushroom company in the Dutch province of Limburg. It has been cultivating for over 50 years. The Dutch branch is affiliated to the English organization Oakfield Farm Products Limited in Evesham, near Birmingham. The nursery offers a complete range of white mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms, oyster and shiitake mushrooms, both in conventional and organic variants. The increasing local-for-local trend also has its consequences for the company.
Besides range and quality the company has been investing in an augmented continental customer base. "In the past we mainly produced for our British parent company. Now we’re focusing on getting more awareness on the mainland. The Dutch retail wants more and more Dutch Fair-Produce mushrooms," says CEO Maurice Koppen, “so we’re trying to tap into that.”
Part of this modified focal point is dealing with a changed market. “The United Kingdom used to be our largest market,” says Koppen, “but the pound has fallen in value and it is harder for them to sell mushrooms for a reasonable price. In addition, the Polish production enlarged dramatically and the exchange rate has also worked to our disadvantage. The Netherlands already produce nine times more than the annual national consumption. Add to that the increased local-for-local preference and you have a fluctuating market that is exceedingly difficult to satisfy."
The entrepreneur however, keeps his faith in the future. "The reorganization in the mushroom sector is not over yet. Fair Produce will contribute to a recovery of the sector. There will be fewer growers, but if we’re able to survive the next couple of years, I see great opportunities. I expect the volume of white mushrooms to drop slightly, but I think other species such as the chestnut mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms will grow considerably. Consumers are increasingly looking for something innovative and increasingly want to try other products. As a sector we need to do everything to stimulate this process and to provide product and manufacturing information.”
