This year, an exceptional mushroom season in Estonia led to a significant drop in prices for chanterelles.
According to Ainu Palover, who buys these popular mushrooms wholesale in Võru and Põlva counties, a similar situation occurred eight years ago.
The abundance of chanterelles in the forests has led to a significant drop in prices, from 10 euros per kilogram in June to 2 euros in August.
The sharp decline in prices is partly because a large portion of these mushrooms is exported. Estonia faces competition from Latvia and Lithuania in the export market. Wholesale prices are even lower in these countries, at just 1.30 euros per kilogram. This allows them to sell chanterelles cheaper than Estonian companies.
Due to these low prices, many mushroom foragers are questioning whether it's worth continuing to collect them.
Source: rus.postimees.ee