Situation of oyster production shortage in summer was quite typical for the Ukrainian market. A year ago, in mid-July, according to UMDIS, oyster mushrooms on the Kyiv wholesale market costed EUR 1.9/kg, while champignon mushrooms costed Eur 1.1/kg. The supply of oyster mushrooms in the summer decreases more than the supply of champignons – that’s why the price difference is quite large in the summer – and in oysters are more expensive.Yesterday, an oyster producer in Ukraine from the Poltava region – one of the few who are currently working and supplying this mushroom to the market – reported a critical shortage of mushrooms in Ukraine. According to him, there are no oysters in the main Ukrainian wholesale market in Kyiv. According to him, this situation is quite typical for the summer when many manufacturers do not work, not being able to maintain the climate. However, this year many producers also stopped working due to hostilities, problems with substrate supplies – so oysters now are completely unavailable.
“I have now brought 100 boxes to the market in Kyiv – EUR 2/kg. I think they will sell for Euro 2.2. There are no oysters at other points of sale on this market. The wholesaler who asked to bring it says that there have been no oysters on the Kyiv market for two weeks,” – the grower shares with UMDIS on the way back to Poltava.
For comparison, today’s price of champignons on the market Kyiv wholesale market yesterday was about EUR 1.6/kg.
UMDIS has written previously about lack of substrate for oysters in Ukraine as two biggest producers hold up their production: https://www.umdis.org/all-farms-oyster-farms-in-ukraine-may-closed-in-some-weeks-due-to-insuperable-reason/