The Greek market seems promising for the mushroom business. Mr. Aris Meta, owner of the mushroom brokerage company Manitaria Thessalias, says: "Demand for mushrooms in Greece increases every single year. Each new season is better than the previous one. White mushrooms represent about 85% of our sales and Pleurotus 10%, while during the last years we have been seeing increased interest in Asian and exotic mushrooms, such as Shiitake, King Oyster and others."
As Mr. Meta explains: "Shiitake and king oyster are delivered to Greece by airplane, while Pleurotus is almost the only mushroom variety grown in Greece, as it is the easiest one to cultivate."
However, there are notable developments in the section of white mushrooms: "About ten years ago, there was a major Greek mushroom grower that provided 95% of the white mushroom consumed in Greece. Since the shutdown of his business, we have been sourcing our white mushrooms from Poland and Romania. However, this is the first season that Greek white mushrooms are available in the market again. Regardless of their quantity, they are too few to meet the entire demand of the Greek market. Moreover, we do not see any new investments in this section of the mushroom market."
There are also significant changes in the pricing of mushrooms from year to year and between mushrooms of different origins. "Prices for imported white mushrooms are not stable. Currently they cost 2,70-2,80 euros/kg. This is 60-70% increase compared to the previous season. Greek white mushrooms, making their debut in the market, at the moment cost more than 3,00 euros/kg. Shiitake and King Oyster cost about 10% more than last season," according to the Greek broker.
In Greece, white mushrooms and Pleurotus are distributed equally across all market channels. Only Shiitake, King Oyster and other exotic mushrooms are traded differently. "Exotic mushrooms are primarily absorbed by the HO.RE.CA. sector. There is also great difference when Christmas approaches. This is the peak of the season. During the 15 days of the festive period in Greece, starting with Christmas, we see an increase of 80-90% in demand. We expect prices to increase by 0,10-0,20 during that period," Mr. Meta concludes.
For more information:
Aris Meta
Manitaria Thessalias
Tel: +30 2410 256 123
Mob: +30 6937 296 441
Email: [email protected]