In recent months, woodchips, wastewood, sawdust and straw, which used to be abundantly available, have become increasingly difficult to obtain and thus highly sought-after commodities in Germany. Accordingly, mushroom growers are facing increasing problems in obtaining raw materials for mushroom production.
Due to the heat and drought, the cereals have matured prematurely. This not only means smaller grain yields, but also shorter straws than would have been expected under normal weather conditions. This year’s straw yield will be correspondingly low in Germany.
Straw shortage
Mushroom growers traditionally share straw with cattle feed and bedding producers. Already in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for straw as a raw material for pellets for heating purposes, so fuel producers are withdrawing straw from the material cycle. The energy shortage that started this year has dramatically increased this trend. What are the alternatives to straw? Corn stalk, rapeseed straw, hay, various grasses, but with which there is not yet much experience, as raw materials for mushroom cultivation. But they are not really an alternative anyway, because they immediately put the mushroom grower back into competition with energy producers.
Wood shortage
The situation is even more extreme for wood. Wood in the form of pellets is also used in heating systems, which are booming because of the energy crisis. In 2020, 550 000 pellet-based heating systems existed in Germany. Thanks to public subsidies of up to 55% of the investment costs, the number of systems installed continues to grow rapidly. The result is extremely high demand and shortages for both materials. Whereas last year a tonne of wood pellets cost € 225, today it costs € 507. These are sums that mushroom growers can hardly afford to pay for substrate material.
This tight situation is affecting a sector that is struggling with increased costs in many other areas. Mushroom growers also have a significant energy need, particularly for winter heating and summer cooling of their growing houses and for cooling freshly picked mushrooms. Packaging materials such as cartons and film have become significantly more expensive, as has transport. On top of that, the wage costs of employees and mushroom pickers are rising. What happens next? German mushroom growers are looking to the future with great concern…
Source: Gesunde-Pilze
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