Despite good current sales figures, the mood among mushroom and cultivated mushroom growers is uneven. As at the meeting of the executive committee and advisory board members of the federation of German mushroom and cultured mushroom cultivators (BDC) registered association in the central association horticulture registered association. (ZVG) on 30 June in Erfurt became clear, this is primarily connected with numerous costs.
In July the minimum wage was raised to 9.60 euros per hour, and by July 2022 it will rise in two further steps to 10.45 euros. Added to this are costs for the required operational hygiene measures in the accommodation and production areas in the wake of the Corona pandemic, as well as the masks and tests to be provided for the (seasonal) workforce. The managers are also worried that they will not be able to find enough pickers to harvest the mushrooms in the future due to the decreasing availability of seasonal workers.
After the meeting, the BDC board and advisory council members went
to the BUGA Erfurt grounds. Photo: BDC.
Also burdening production are rising energy costs and CO2 pricing. Mushroom cultivation is an energy-intensive branch of horticulture, as mushrooms require optimal temperature and humidity to grow. Higher costs in this area prevent investment in new production techniques, which are necessary for long-term profitability, and stand in the way of investment in renewable energies.
Currently, the industry is concerned not only with the pending change in the flat-rate sales tax, but also with the consequences of the new fertilizer ordinance. The Champost produced during mushroom production is used as fertilizer in agriculture. The tightened situation in “red areas” means that the Champost has to be stored more frequently. For the farms, this means higher storage capacity, which has yet to be created in many places.
The members of the Board and the Advisory Council are particularly critical of the fact that there have been hardly any transitional periods for adjustment, to adapt as a business to the coming changes, meaning that several cost factors will now be imposed on mushroom producers at the same time.
For more information:
Bund Deutscher Champignon- und Kulturpilzanbauer (BDC) e.V.
Claire-Waldoff-Straße 7
10117 Berlin
Tel: 030-20 00 65-28
Fax: 030-20 00 65-29
E-Mail: info@der-champignon.de
Web: https://www.der-champignon.de/