After strong mushroom sales during the cold spring, sales traditionally dipped in the summer, but Maurice Koppen of Oakfield Champignons in Stramproy reports that sales began picking up significantly from week 39. "Prices have fluctuated quite a bit this year, depending on the weather, promotions, and compost issues abroad like last month, but on average prices remain reasonable."
"In terms of assortment, we've seen the same pattern for years. Sales of white mushrooms are no longer growing and may even be declining slightly, but on the other hand, sales of exotic mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms are only increasing. Personally, I think it's positive that consumers are looking beyond white mushrooms," Maurice says. "In recent years, we've introduced yellow and pink oyster mushrooms, bundle mushrooms, white beech mushrooms, lion's mane, coral mushrooms, and king oyster mushrooms, among others. We're constantly exploring how to advance this crop and what new product developments are possible."
"The local-for-local trend continues as well. This makes exports more challenging because more and more is being produced abroad. However, we do see that mushroom consumption continues to grow across Europe. Export opportunities, therefore, remain, but it's increasingly important to also focus on sales within the Netherlands," he observes. In addition to conventional mushrooms, Oakfield also supplies a wide range of organic mushrooms. "This share grows every year. In southern Europe, organic isn't as in demand, but in the Netherlands and surrounding countries, demand is definitely rising."
In the lead-up to Christmas, meeting demand is always challenging. "Christmas is always a busy time. Orders are extremely high then, and you can't suddenly quadruple production, so that puts pressure on us. This year, Christmas falls mid-week, giving consumers more meal times. Up until Christmas, you can predict orders fairly well, but afterward, it's more challenging."
A major challenge is translating rising labor costs into automation. "That's an ongoing pursuit. Many new systems are being developed, but they don't yet deliver ideal results, so it'll take a few years before this development matures. Personally, I believe it's important not to let rising costs hurt sales. You can increase prices, but consumers still need to buy the mushrooms. On the other hand, growers haven't had it easy in recent years either."
In December of last year, Oakfield was acquired by Yukiguni Maitake, a company with over 40 years of experience in the mushroom industry. "This transition is going well. We're looking at how to integrate as effectively as possible and have taken a year to do so, but day-to-day operations have continued as usual," Maurice concludes.
For more information:
Oakfield Mushrooms
Lochtstraat 1
6039 RV Stramproy
Tel +31 (0)495 56 41 13
[email protected]
www.oakfield.nl