The mushroom traders have put a difficult year behind them. According to trader Piet Siberg of mushroom wholesaler Siberg from Testelt, prices were consistently low. "Around Christmas, trade went well, but the months before that sales were disappointing. At the moment it's business as usual. It's not getting any better, but fortunately we are managing well. We've got our regular customers, and they are satisfied."
Alternatives
He says that the mushroom season usually goes rather well until April/May. "Last year the season wasn't that good, because of the very mild weather all winter. It wasn't very cold, and less was consumed. Due to the early spring, prices of many products collapsed, which meant people had alternatives to mushrooms. That has always been a notable trend: when other vegetables become very cheap, consumers often choose something other than mushrooms. When it's cold, they stick with mushrooms longer but we missed out on that last year. Russia is also affecting us indirectly, but that is often used as an excuse these days. Smaller traders like us are affected less. We work with market vendors and small shopkeepers."
Export to Beirut and Japan
The company offers a full range of mushrooms. These are sold at the wholesale market in Antwerp. In conjunction with an exporter, Siberg has been supplying mushrooms to Beirut for years. "For roughly a decade, our produce has been going there, and that's going well. We have little competition there. The great thing about this market is that quality is very important, and price isn't the first priority. At the moment we are also in talks about export to Japan. There was a demand there, and there's a big chance we'll soon be allowed to ship. What's challenging about countries like that is that they have completely different standards and requirements. The bar is very high. The products and packagings have to be perfect. In Japan they even ask for a radiation report. All in all it takes more time, but it's definitely doable."
For more information:
Piet Siberg
Siberg Champignons
Bergstraat 20
3272 Testelt - België
0032-475476981
siberg.testelt@gmail.com