In the summer, the 
demand for mushrooms is usually a bit weaker. "Currently, however, we are quite satisfied with the sales. We have noticed that May has consistently been a good sales month for Swiss mushrooms in recent years. In June and July, sales volumes - partly due to the holidays - are usually 15-20 percent below average, after which the demand picks up again from August. During the pandemic, sales were quite stable even in these 'weaker months' since people were vacationing less. However, this has now normalized," says Cyrill Busslinger, who has been the managing director of the Swiss mushroom cultivation company Gerber Champignons AG since 2016.
Similar to many other European countries, the Swiss market clearly favors brown over white mushrooms. However, Busslinger points out that a distinction must be made. "In the gastronomy sector, white mushrooms are predominantly needed, for example, for cream sauces. In retail, which is by far our main sales market, brown mushrooms have gained significant importance over the last few years, and the trend continues to rise." The distribution between brown and white is now at 60-40, whereas it was 50-50 a few years ago, Busslinger notes. After the last price increase about a year ago, no further price hikes are in sight.
Since 2020, Gerber AG has been part of the Wauwiler-Gruppe. Busslinger: "We continue to operate as an independent company, but we benefit from the exchange of goods and consolidated logistics, among other things."
Return to conventional mushroom cultivation
In the spring of 2022, Gerber AG's mushroom cultivation was converted to organic. However, due to inflation, the growth of the organic market and thus the demand for organic cultivated mushrooms has significantly flattened, confirms Busslinger. "Last year, we had to sell up to 60 percent of our production volume as conventional goods, while the costs of the organic raw materials we needed, such as substrate, have tended to increase. This ultimately led us to convert our operation back to conventional last autumn."
Across the entire mushroom assortment, the management of Gerber Champignons AG observes slight increases. "In addition to the medium or standard sorting 35/55, we also produce and market mini mushrooms, often referred to as pearls in Switzerland. Both assortments are demanded relatively evenly throughout the year. Furthermore, we are now offering a flat, coarse variety for the barbecue season, which is very suitable for stuffing. In this segment, we expect a tentative increase in demand over the coming weeks."
Images: Gerber Champignons AG
For more information:
Cyrill Busslinger
Gerber Champignons AG
Pfandersmatt 159
CH-3662 Seftigen
Tel: +41 33 356 34 34
Tel: +41 33 356 26 21
[email protected]
www.gerber-champignons.ch