Mushroom growers face labor shortage

In the Belgian region of Flanders, the number of mushroom growers has decreased, but the volume produced has reached 28,000 tonnes. This year, in addition to the rising cost of raw materials, the sector is facing a labor shortage.

 

In Flanders, the mushroom sector has been in decline for the past decades. The number of growers has fallen from about 137 to 30, mainly in the West Flanders and Limburg areas. The volume produced has fallen from 45,000 tonnes in 1996 to around 28,000 tonnes in recent years.

 

At present, the production seems to stabilize according to the specialists, but the sector faces new challenges, such as the increase in the cost of raw materials and, above all, the shortage of labor. For years the sector has relied on Polish workers, but due to the economic growth of their country fewer and fewer workers are coming. And those who come to Belgium want to go home during the end of the year holidays, which is the peak season for mushroom growers, as demand peaks.

 

This labor problem is affecting almost all growers, who have warned that the supply of mushrooms will be less than the demand.

 

Some analysts explain the decline in mushroom production in Belgium due to the rise of Poland as a producing country, which exceeds 270,000 tonnes (2017 data) annually. But these analysts believe that mushroom cultivation in Belgium has a future because the demand for local products is increasing considerably.