Poland is Europe’s largest mushroom producer and also the world’s largest exporter. Achieving such a good position was possible thanks to investments from EU funds, according to Dariusz Wychowałek, president of the producer group Spółka Pieczarka Centrum (Mushroom Centre).
Pieczarka Centrum was founded in 2009. It brings together seven mushroom producers (champignons and oyster mushrooms) based in central Poland. The member’s total growing area is 28.000 m2, and the group produces 120 tonnes mushroom per week.
“When we started growing mushrooms, we quickly learned that in order to sell the product it must be properly packaged. Therefore, the next idea was to build the necessary infrastructure, which would allow us to pack the mushrooms and ship them to our customers,” explained Wychowałek.
Marshal of the Lodz region recognize the group as the producer group of fruits and vegetables. This is the basis to apply for EU subsidies. She helped the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture, which for planned by a group of investment has made nearly 20 million zł. The EU subsidy could reach 75 percent investment costs, the rest – it’s money the group members. Repayment followed in the form of reimbursement of costs, after the completion of the investment.
This money is allocated among others for the construction of a warehouse, sorting and packing plant and their equipment, and the purchase of machinery, equipment and tools for harvesting mushrooms. Create a modern and well-equipped facility that allows you to meet the expectations of partners – emphasized the President. Currently, the group offers mushrooms, white and brown, various sizes (from tiny for preservation of the large portabella mushrooms, which stuffs and grills) and oyster. In total there is 25 assortments. Mushroom cultivation takes up to 28 thousand square meters.
Europeans are increasingly eating more mushrooms; annual consumption amounts to more than 1 million tonnes, of which one third comes from Poland (330 thousand tonnes).
Wychowałek notes that a total of 26 producer groups are registered in the country, stressing also that while three years ago, the average Pole ate 80 grams of mushrooms, this figure has now increased to 1.4 kg.
