The mushroom market - France

(A specific study of the truffle market is available here). in addition to these four main varieties, there are a large number of more confidential varieties, most of which grow wild. France produces around 100,000 tonnes of mushrooms every year (the vast majority of which are button mushrooms), a figure that is set to rise in 2022 and 2021, following a decline in production since 2016. France ranks fourth in Europe in terms of production. French production is concentrated in a few regions: Pays de la Loire, Centre, Picardie, etc. In fact, 97% of French mushroom production involves button mushrooms. Mushrooms grown in mushroom houses are available all year round, unlike wild mushrooms. These mushroom beds contain manure-based substrates which go through several stages before producing mushrooms for harvest. When they are to be sold fresh, which is the main market in Europe, the mushrooms are hand-picked, sorted according to their characteristics, refrigerated and stored in a refrigerator. s according to their characteristics, refrigerated and packaged for dispatch to distribution outlets. Mushrooms that are not sold fresh are said to be processed. This means that, as soon as the harvest is complete, they are delivered to processing plants, where they are appertized (canned), deep-frozen or freeze-dried. The harvest of woodland mushrooms, estimated at a few thousand tonnes, is not enough to meet French demand, since, in addition to industrially-grown mushrooms, French consumers are fond of "wild" varieties. Moreover, the high volatility of French production reinforces the need for imports.