The energy-intensive production of edible mushrooms is currently particularly affected by the impact of the Ukraine war on the procurement of electricity and gas for food production. This became clear once again at an extraordinary meeting of the Board and Advisory Council of the Federation of German Mushroom and Cultivated Mushroom Growers (BDC) on 6 September 2022 in Hanover.

During the intensive exchange with representatives of the Federal Association of Energy Users (VEA), climate control in the cultivation rooms and cooling of the harvested products, but also substrate production as well as hygienisation of the substrate and disinfection of the rooms were named as extremely energy-intensive processes.

Despite this, mushroom farms have so far not been able to participate in the energy cost reduction programme of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), as they do not belong to the listed sectors. Given the amount of energy required in the cultivated mushroom sector, this is absolutely incomprehensible for the BDC representatives. The board estimates that the electricity and gas price increases alone could generate additional costs of more than 75 million euros for the industry, should the prices for electricity and gas remain at this level or even rise further. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).

Please read the full article here. (in German)
Source: Bund Deutscher Champignon- und Kulturpilzanbauer e.V.