This year Chinese Mushroom Days 2023 took place on November 17-19 in Zhangzhou Yuanshan Fliport Hotel. The organiser is China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal by-products (CFNA).

The program consisted of The Conference, The Exhibition, and the Tour to see mushroom enterprises – compost yard and farms.

The slogan of this year event was “Reunion, Recovery, Restart”. Reunion – old and new friends of the Chinese Mushroom Days meet in Zhangzhou. Recovery – with the opening of the country, China’s edible mushroom industry will ‘bring in’ and ‘go global’. Restart – a new starting point, a new journey, a new future!

UMDIS Mushroom Agency asked our partners from Europe who visited the event to share what they think – how mushroom industry in China looks for them and develops.

Mart Christiaens, owner of Christiaens Group tells UMDIS: “When you look from the point of labour – it is becoming an issue in China, so definitely such solutions as tilting shelves or drawer system will be needed here as well. With drawer system like it is now – we can reduce number of pickers from 100% to 35%. And when we put robot on top – what we try now on a Canadian farm – the number of pickers decreases to 25%. As China wanted us to talk about our newest technologies on picking, listened very attentively, mushroom producers talked with me during Mushroom Days, and asked lots of questions – it looks like labour shortage becomes a problem in China as well.”

Luc Baltussen from ChampFood, supplement producer tells: We have attended the Chinese Mushroom Days before, but it was good to be back again after COVID-19. This year it was a good mix of speakers from different parts of the world on different topics. Many thanks to the organization.

“The China Mushroom business is slowly getting back on track. After few years of full investment stop, now customers are open to discuss new business opportunities, – tells Ron Hegger from Dutch Mushroom Projects. – In several provinces, the local government is subsidizing new investments with low interest loans. This is very helpful for new projects.

However, lately more clients are suffering from shortage in pickers, – continiues Ron Hegger from DMP. – Sooner (or later) this market will be focussing on higher level of automation, same as the rest of the world. On the other hand, the investment cost for growing and harvesting agaricus (including production of substrate) are extremely high, compared to other mushrooms. Note: The average mushroom consumption in China is approx. 20kg per person. Agaricus is still only 3-4% of this number. The question is: how much can it go up?

At DMP we are positive, however we expect the next few years will be decisive about the China Mushroom market direction”.

From Chinese point of view

Alex LV, Sales Manager and Partner of one of the largest Chinese equipment suppliers Zhejiang Kingfit International Co.,Ltd tells UMDIS: “We are glad to attend as exhibitor, we attend this exhibition every year and happy to meet our old friends there. This fair with many conference/training course for new technology and new information in mushroom industry, and have party at night. In China, our company attends several mushroom exhibitions every year. But in my point, Chinese mushroom days is the most international and the best one”.

Chinese most burning mushroom business tasks

Among keynote speakers where the most well-known in Chinese mushroom business: Academician Yu Li, National Model of Poverty Eradication, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of International Society of Medicinal Mushrooms, Professor of Jilin Agricultural University, as well as Professor Qi Tan, Vice President of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chief of National Edible Mushroom Industry Technology System, and President of World Society of Edible Mushroom Biology and Products and of course Gregory Seymour from Australia, President of the International Mushroom Society.

The hottest and most burning tasks for Chinese mushroom business exist at least six. The first is people, human resources, and labour. It is about hiring good people as well as about new technologies helping with labour problems. The second problem to deal with – is helping mushroom industry to develop in general, supporting of investments in main producing areas. The third issue – developing of agaricus mushrooms production which is less popular in China than production of other varieties. This topic was discussed with participation of GTL-Europe, Sylvan, and other European companies.

Fourth – strains for edible mushrooms and their perspective in China, the topic was driven by scientists. Another, fifth task between Chinese mushroom industry is – making Chinese rare mushrooms go dlobal – here we talk about Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, Flammulina filiformis and other varieties of mushrooms.  The sixth is the perspective of mushroom trading, the seventh – dealing with utilization of straw.