My name is Erik de Groot and as of today I am writing a blog on this website with i hope, interesting articles for you to read.

Since I was a teenager I have worked with mushrooms so it has an important meaning in my life. I started working on farms as a picker, cleaner and whatever had to be done. Later I rented my own farm before I decided to go to work in bigger farms. I worked several years in the Netherlands and after a while I got involved in consultancy work. That really made a big change in my life, as I travelled all over the world working in several continents. Right now I have my own consultancy company named GLAGS, I live in California, USA and do consultancy work all around the globe with projects in China, Russia, Australia and several places in Europe.

My strong points are that my experience is very wide. From compost to harvesting and with the experience having worked on farms, it makes it easier to understand the difficulties that growers, composters and farm managers face.

Besides my consultancy work I write articles in several magazines and with this new blog I want to reach even more people in the industry with news and stories about the industry.
I hope you like it and any comment or suggestions can be send to my email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Erik de Groot
Global AGriculture Services

Now, in mushroom house located in Udine Burag Village, Hanggin Banner, Ordos City of Inner Mongolia, Agaricus arvensis mushrooms are in good growth trend, which indicates its successful trial planting.

Udine Burag Village is in hilly and gully region where is perennially drought, rarely rainy, poor in ecological environment, small in cultivated farmland and meadow per capita. In April of 2018, local villagers were guided to embark on mushroom farming in abandoned schools, and the species is Agaricus arvensis.

Agaricus arvensis is one of the famous and excellent mushroom specialties in Inner Mongolia of China, and it is the technical achievement reached by the domestication of wild Agaricus arvensis. Agaricus arvensis is packed with protein, fibre, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and vitamins, and it is always in short supply in China.

In western mountainous area of Pingyin County of Shandong Province, dry climate, dense ditches and high slopes indicate small-scale crop farming and low benefit. Restricted by natural conditions, local farmers are eager to seek leading industry that suits local characteristics and propels them to increase incomes and become rich.

Over the years, Pingyin County fully mobilizes various resources and further promotes trench-pattern mushroom growing. In 2018, armed with the gross investment of 110 million CNY, the project of modern mushroom garden was launched by Jinan Yuandong Agricultural Technology Development Co., LTD. By now, 6 fermentation tunnels constructed by Dutch advanced fermentation technology have shown the embryo, after the complete construction, quality of mushroom compost could be substantially improved.

“After the mushroom garden is built, the projected annual consumption on agricultural straw and animal manure reaches 60,000 tons, annual output on mushroom bags comes to 15 million while annual processing and marketing volume on Drumstick mushroom (Coprinus comatus) reaches 30,000 tons,” said principal of the project confidently.

On December 5, the second batch of mushrooms produced in Hebei Guangming Jiudaogu Biotechnology Co., LTD are transported to South Africa by waterage.

“South Africa is another oversea market exploited by our company after Thailand and USA, up to now, gross volume of fresh mushroom exported to South Africa has reached 18.42 tons,” explains related manager from Jiudaogu Company. “Quality of fresh mushroom produced in our company meets international standard, for this time of export, we adopt 40-feet freezer which is kept at temperature of 2-5 degrees Celsius for 24 hours.”

Established in April, 2015, Hebei Guangming Jiudaogu Biotechnology Co., LTD holds the total investment of 1.5 billion CNY, annual output on Enoki, White beech, Brown shimeji and other high-end mushrooms comes to 70,000 tons. And, the company also provides stable job opportunities for nearly 1000 population, of which 400 are in poverty-stricken position.

Monaghan Mushrooms acquires 100% of Walkro, a leading producer of substrate for the mushroom industry

Irish company Monaghan Mushrooms has agreed to acquire all shares of Walkro held by Gimv and Walkro’s management.

Walkro (www.walkro.eu) was founded in Belgium in 1991 and has grown into one of the largest producers of substrate for the mushroom industry. Walkro produces 8,500 tons of substrate per week at its production facilities in Maasmechelen (Belgium), Blitterswijck (the Netherlands) and Wallhausen (Germany). With more than 235 employees, Walkro sources its own raw materials (mainly horse and poultry manure), produces best in class substrate and takes care of transport to mushroom growers all over the world.

At the end of 2011, Walkro was acquired by operating partner Monaghan Mushrooms, together with financial investor Gimv and Walkro’s management team. Since then, Walkro’s turnover has grown to just over EUR 75 million (2017), making Walkro one of the largest producers of mushroom substrate in the world. Today, co-shareholder Monaghan buys out both Gimv and management, becoming the group’s sole shareholder.

In the new structure, Walkro will remain focused on producing high-quality mushroom substrate for independent growers around the world. The Walkro management underlines its confidence in the new structure by acquiring shares on Monaghan level. The current statutory management of Walkro, consisting of Eric Houben (CEO) and Peter Fijneman (CFO), will be responsible for all European substrate activities within the Monaghan group in similar positions, which has a total size of 15,000 tons of mushroom substrate per week. Eric Houben will also become a board member of Monaghan Mushrooms.

Monaghan Mushrooms (www.monaghan-mushrooms.com) is one of the world’s largest substrate and mushroom companies. The company is a ‘spore to store’ vertically integrated agribusiness meaning that it produces substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms and grows, harvests and packs quality and fresh mushrooms before delivering its mushrooms directly to its customers, some of the largest international retailers. The company is owned by the Wilson family (Ireland). Monaghan employs more than 3,500 employees and is headquartered in County Monaghan, Ireland. The group further has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.

Over the entire holding period, the investment in Walkro generated a return above Gimv’s long-term average return. No further financial details will be disclosed.
Gimv NV - Karel Oomsstraat 37, 2018 Antwerpen, België - T +32 3 290 21 00 - F +32 3 290 21 05 - www.gimv.com Page | 2

ABOUT GIMV
Gimv is a European investment company with over three decades experience in private equity. The company is listed on Euronext Brussels and currently manages around 1.6 billion EUR of investments in about 50
portfolio companies, jointly realising a turnover of EUR 2.5 billion with over 14,000 employees.

As a recognized market leader in selected investment platforms, Gimv identifies entrepreneurial and innovative companies with high-growth potential and supports them in their transformation into market leaders. Gimv’s four investment platforms are: Connected Consumer, Health & Care, Smart Industries and Sustainable Cities. Each of these platforms works with a skilled and dedicated team across Gimv’s home markets of the Benelux, France and Germany and can count on an extended international network of experts.

More information on Gimv can be found on www.gimv.com.

For further information please contact:
Paul Wilson, Vice-Chairman Monaghan Mushrooms
T+353 87 659 2459 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Eric Houben, CEO Walkro International
T +31 6 53 21 12 07 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Frank De Leenheer, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Manager Gimv
T +32 3 290 22 18 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.