Baltic Champs is the largest mushroom farm in Lithuania which starts its history from 1994 year when the owner Kęstutis Juščius went into mushroom business. Baltic Champs produces and sells champignon mushrooms and exotics – as well as Phase 3 compost in bulk.
The company has very strong brand that is seen during their participation in Fruit Logistica. Maybe it`s the result of good quality – and a bit the result of good promotion:
– Would you like to take the photo of our beautiful booth and logo? – that was one of the first questions to UMDIS agency after we walked to their booth on the fair 😊
Paulius Pilipavicius deals with sales in Baltic Champs. He is a person with incredible sense of humor and large experience.
UMDIS Mushroom Information Agency prepared for you the number of his quotes about Baltic Camps and market demands for mushrooms.
– Main goal for Baltic Champs to be here on Fruit Logistica is to connect with our customers. Yes, also, with new – but mostly to shake hands with old clients. It is important to meet in person sometimes. Our company participates in this fair for more than 10 years.
– It is better to participate with booth as it gives you the possibility someone will remember your company, your logo. It can give you advantage in the future. For our partners logo of Baltic Champs on the top of the booth – as well as on the label of the mushroom packaging means stability. Some of our clients stay with us for 20 years.
– 1100 tons of mushrooms Baltic Champs produces per month. More than 1000 tones are champignons, from them 10 tones are brown.
– Now we have more than 50 positions including different types of mushrooms, different sizes, mixtures. We grow in our own facilities and sell white mushrooms, brown mushrooms, pleurotus, shiitake, eryngii, portabello.
– 55-60% of all our mushrooms go in packaging – and the rest as loose. I believe packaging is important – the consumer sees your logo, your brand. Also, from the market side it`s more profitable to sell mushrooms packed. But I will be fair – we do not aim to receive more orders for packed mushrooms. As it is enough expensive to pack them. Larger labor intense, cost of plastic punnets, cost of labels. You need bigger warehouse as 300 kilograms of loose mushrooms is one pallet – and 300 kilograms of mushrooms in punnets need 3 pallets.
– 10% of all mushrooms we produce are organic. There are not so many farms in Eastern and Central Europe which grow organic mushrooms, I would say Baltic Champs is the largest. Everyone tells that organic market is growing now. I agree with it. But it definitely should be described as “slow increase” now. Large demand for organic mushrooms we now see from Scandinavian market.
– We sell mushrooms to domestic Lithuanian market, to Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, Germany – and even to Poland to some wholesalers. You probably know, Poland does not have enough mushrooms 😊
– For Sweden, Scandinavian market the quality is highly important – while the price is not important so much. Those countries are richer markets. German market is high demanded. In contrast – Polish or Lithuanian market are still price-oriented. And quality standards are a bit smaller there.
– For supermarkets everywhere quality of mushroom is now much important than price or packaging. They understand that final consumer looks on the mushrooms on the shelf – and if it is white – he buys. So, supermarkets do not want to have the supplier who provides them with not white mushrooms or mushrooms with low shelf life. Just snow-white mushrooms.
Baltic Champs offers Compost Phase 3 to be sold in bulk. If you are interested, you can ask by the phone: +37069371997.
Article 5 from 5 in series of articles about Fruit Logistica.
Read previous by the links: https://www.umdis.org/what-mushroom-producers-told-umdis-during-fruit-logistica-in-berlin-article-1-from-5/
https://www.umdis.org/prices-for-mushrooms-in-germany/
