On 10 and 11 September, the international mushroom industry gathered in Liège for the very first congress of the new industry organization ESSMI (European Society of the Specialty Mushroom Industry), formerly the Hessiche Landesfachgruppe Pilzbau (HLP). As usual, the congress kicked off with a private evening on Tuesday.
The following day began with a detailed excursion to the nearby production site of Walloon substrate producer Eclo. In the afternoon, the activities included an extensive review of the participation in the International Mushroom Congress and the subsequent company visits in the Chinese province of Henan earlier this year.
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It was precisely in the 30th anniversary year of the annual industry event for the exotic mushroom sector that members gathered for the first time under the new name ESSMI. Despite the new name and the change of the working language from German to English, the objective of the organization remains the same, contact person Evelin Krolopp informed earlier.
The exchange of knowledge and experience, to raise the European cultivation and consumption of exotic mushrooms to a higher level, is still the main focus. Nevertheless, the new set-up and organizational structure seem to have been a good move, as both members and the organization unanimously report. Especially in the UK and France, ESSMI has already managed to recruit several new members.
Review of China trip: Transparency and shift towards industrial cultivation methods
After the visit to Eclo, there was an extensive review of the trip to China in April this year. This trip was mainly in the context of participation in the World Mushroom Conference 2024 in Xuchang. Here, ESSMI was officially introduced once again and the state of affairs regarding European mushroom cultivation was discussed in detail. Afterward, the tour group visited quite a few cultivation companies in the Henan region. What stood out was that Chinese cultivation is gradually being scaled up, with smaller family farms merging into large, industrial cultivation companies with hundreds of staff, Kasper Moreaux, ESSMI board member, outlined using photos. Despite the high level of automation on many farms, little importance is given to efficiency, and many redundant staff are employed.
Nevertheless, there is a lot to learn from China's advanced mushroom cultivation. When it comes to cultivation techniques and machine installations, among other things, the Chinese sector is far ahead. Although China is often described as a closed stronghold, there was little evidence of this during the trip, Moreaux said. On the contrary: everywhere her traveling party went, they were welcomed with open arms. He therefore urged his colleagues to take advantage of this transparency and possibly consider visiting other Chinese regions shortly.
New impetus for European mushroom cultivation
Those who think of exotic mushrooms often get no further than the established species, such as shiitake and oyster mushrooms. As already discussed in the first lecture, the choice in Asia is considerably wider. A lot of innovation is still possible in that respect too, was the overarching message in Carles Díaz Tarragó's lecture. The Catalan was active as a grower and cultivation pioneer for over 10 years.
Today, he conducts research on edible mushrooms as a founding member of the group Teb Verd sccl. This involves going back to basics: looking at wild mushrooms, some of which are already consumed locally, and then trying to grow them in a simulated growing environment on substrate. If the varieties are demonstrably edible, they are presented to a taste panel, partly consisting of leading gastronomes. This will help determine which varieties, if any, have the potential to be grown commercially in the future.
For more information:
Evelin Krolopp
ESSMIe.V.
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Str. 7
06114 Halle/Saale, Germany
Tel: +49 345 20850102
[email protected]
www.pilzbau.de