A large mushroom farm recently opened in Philippsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, as reported by Gombaforum. Located at the outskirts of the town, the newly built industrial halls have been cultivating and harvesting champignon mushrooms for about two weeks. The farm is run by RPZ Rheinische Pilz-Zentrale GmbH.
100 tons of mushrooms every week
Even though the construction of the farm isn’t fully done, they’ve already started growing mushrooms. Right now, they are delivering around 40 to 50 tons of champignons to supermarkets every week. Once the entire project is complete, the farm is expected to produce up to 90 to 100 tons weekly.
Technology
The mushrooms grow on six levels using special tiltable shelves that make harvesting easier. The whole facility covers 9,000 square meters, which is a pretty large size for mushroom farming. They also have conveyor belts to help harvest the mushrooms. Workers place the mushrooms on the belts without cutting their stems. Cutting, sorting, and packing into trays are fully automated, without needing people to do it manually.
Construction still ongoing
The construction of cooling rooms and packaging areas inside the facility is still ongoing. Outside, they are planning to build an administrative building. The company also plans to renovate a historic estate nearby, called Rheinschanz-Mittelhof, which is in bad shape right now. They want to turn it into housing for workers.
A €50 million investment
The new site in Philippsburg is expected to cost up to €50 million, according to Hans Deckers, the director of the farm. Deckers started growing mushrooms about 50 years ago in North Rhine-Westphalia. Since then, the company has opened five other sites, with this one being their latest addition.
50 years of mushroom farming
RPZ Rheinische Pilz-Zentrale GmbH is part of the Deckers Group, a family-run business. Hans Deckers shifted from regular farming to mushroom production over 50 years ago, and that decision laid the foundation for the company’s growth. Today, they grow mushrooms on around 60,000 square meters of land across southwest Germany. They follow strict standards for cultivation and have certifications like IFS, Cash & Carry, QS, and BIO.
As published in Gombaforum.
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