The Polish Economic Institute (PIE) reported that Poland has a 32% share of the world’s champignon export, which gives it the leading position. Canada is second (20 % share of exports), while the Netherlands is third (14 %). The value of Polish mushroom exports in 2021 was €397.3 million.

“Polish champignons are recognised by foreign buyers due to their lower price than that offered by Western European producers, as well as their very high quality (the champignons are mostly harvested by hand).

Citing statistics from the Central Statistical Office, the authors of the analysis indicated that in the last decade, the value of Polish champignon exports to world markets increased by around 47%.

PIE analysts calculated that in 2021, the value of Polish champignon exports would account for 50.3 per cent of the total export revenue of all fresh vegetables. Last year alone, domestic producers sold more than 232,000 tonnes of champignons worth nearly €400 million abroad. Compared to 2019, the value of deliveries to overseas markets increased by 10.6 %, while export volumes increased by 9.5 %.

The markets for Polish champignons are European countries accounting for more than 99 per cent of Polish exports. In terms of value, the largest buyers were the UK with a 26.3 % share, Germany (25.2 %) and France (15.1 %). Among the important buyers, PIE analysts also identified: Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden (shares of 4.1 % each).

PIE experts also pointed out that from January to the end of May 2022, the champignon industry’s exports were worth almost €195.2 million – 19.1% more than in the same period in 2021. At the same time, however, the industry has recovered from the pandemic, but it is threatened by rising production costs, which could reduce the price advantage previously achieved in European markets.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński