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Summary of our market study
The French mushroom market is worth around 90,000 tonnes.
The world mushroom market is stable, dominated by China, which accounts for over 50% of production. Sales in Europe are around €3.3 billion.
In France, imports, notably from the Netherlands and Poland, are necessary to meet growing demand.
The French mushroom market is characterized by a growing demand for fresh, locally-sourced products.
Mushrooms are ranked sixth among French people's favorite vegetables.
The French are showing an emerging interest in exotic varieties, such as shiitake, and Asian medicinal mushrooms.
Button mushrooms are the most widely grown in the world, and are the dominant variety on the French market. Production fluctuates between 80,000 and 90,000 tonnes a year, accounting for almost 97% of the country's total output.
Annual sales of French mushroom production are around 250 million euros.
French button mushrooms are 30% to 40% more expensive than their foreign counterparts.
The French mushroom market is made up of a small number of producers.
Mushroom market players
- FLM Ingredients
- Champignon Renaud: a leading player
- France Champignon: a major historical player
- La Ferme de la Gontière: supplier to major food retailers
- Légumes Lou
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
There are countless varieties of mushroom, but the most widely cultivated in France and around the world are limited to four:
- The button mushroom takes first place: it is by far the most widely cultivated variety in the world. China accounts for over 50% of world production;
- Shiitake, from Asia, is the second most widely produced variety in the world;
- Oyster mushrooms come third;
- Bluefoot closes the list of the most cultivated varieties.
(A specific study on 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 harvesting. 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.
1.2 A stable global market dominated by China
The many health benefits of mushrooms are driving demand worldwide. This is particularly true of the Asia-Pacific region, which dominates the market with extremely high demand for mushrooms from Japan, China and even India.
North America and Europe are major markets for exotic mushrooms, both in terms of imports and regional ...
1.3 The European market dominated by Poland
In Europe, mushroom production has remained broadly stable in recent years, at around *,***,*** tonnes a year. A distinction is made between fresh and processed mushrooms (***). The desired shelf life, the clientele and transport time all determine the fate of mushroom production.
European mushroom production Europe, **** - ****, in thousands of tons Source: ...
1.4 The French market dominated by button mushrooms
The French market will account for ***,*** tonnes produced in ****, up *.*% on ****. This makes France Europe's fourth-largest producer, behind Poland, the Netherlands and Spain.
In France, the market is largely dominated by the button mushroom (***), which alone accounts for **% of production. [Thus,the share of other mushrooms in French production can be ...
1.5 Domestic consumption outstrips production
In France, demand for mushrooms is on the rise, particularly demand for fresh mushrooms. Although according to[***], **% of French production is already destined for the fresh market, (***), this production is far from sufficient to meet national demand. As shown by the mushroom trade balance over recent years, France imports the majority ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 A global trend towards local consumption and fresh produce
The French pay close attention to the health, social and environmental impact of their food. This awareness often goes hand in hand with a desire to change towards a more responsible diet. A sustainable trend has been underway for several years now.
Motivations for sustainable food consumption France, ****, in Source: ****
The ...
2.2 French mushrooms: a consumer demand
Mushrooms are one of France's most popular vegetables among consumers. It's common knowledge that mushrooms are good for your health, as evidenced by the plethora of online articles singing their praises.
Mushrooms are also becoming increasingly popular. Between **** and ****, it was one of the top * fastest-growing vegetables in France[***].
Top sales ...
2.3 Growing overall demand for fresh mushrooms
Mushrooms are fairly common in the French diet. Fresh mushrooms top the list with a penetration rate of **%, followed by appertized mushrooms (***).
Penetration rate of cultivated mushrooms France, **** - ****, in Source: ****
In line with trends towards local consumption and environmental protection, more and more French people prefer fresh produce, available from ...
2.4 Towards a trend for Asian medicinal mushrooms
A great unknown on the European and French markets just a few years ago, even though it is the second most widely consumed mushroom in the world (***), Shiitake is gradually making its appearance in dietary supplements and in several products.this trend is confirmed by the fact that more and more ...
2.5 Close-up of the morel sub-segment
Morels, part of the Morchellaceae family, are edible spring mushrooms. Its nutty taste and distinctive woody aromas make it a rare and delicate prestige mushroom. Morels form a complex group that includes many varieties, some of which are difficult to recognize. However, two groups can be distinguished fairly easily in France: ...
3 Market structure
3.1 A small number of producers in France
In France, the market is organized around producers (***), manufacturers offering preservation solutions, distributors, restaurants and, finally, end customers. Other players operate on the periphery of the market, such as composting centers and suppliers of horse manure, essential for cultivation. Growers, on the other hand, distinguish themselves from the classic wild harvest ...
3.2 A wide variety of growers: from industrial companies to seasonal and hobby growers
The diversity of market players is real. This can be seen by observing the protagonists who share the cultivated mushroom sector. According to[***], there are :
Large-scale industrial companies (***); More extensive producers, sometimes seasonal, who combine this activity with other sources of income (***); Hobbyists, who obtain their supplies from garden centers or ...
3.3 A diversity of production methods
Once again, diversity is reflected in production methods. It goes without saying that each mushroom species has its own specific method.
There are * different cultivation methods for the cultivated mushroom, depending on technical developments (***). Today, cultivation in tubs is the most widespread, but all methods follow the same steps. And * months ...
3.4 Button mushroom processing plants, a discreet but important B2B player in the sector
It's difficult to know what market share these plants hold in France, but it's certain that they are indispensable in mushroom processing and storage.
These factories act as the link between producers and distributors. They source fresh mushrooms from a variety of producers, and diversify the methods and forms of preserving ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 The main mushroom species
There are hundreds of thousands of mushroom species worldwide. But, as already mentioned several times in this study, very few of them are currently cultivable.
The website[***] offers a typology of the main cultivable mushrooms.
Cultivated mushroom: A smooth, white or blond skin with invisible lamellae and a supple cap. The ...
4.2 Different preservation methods
Source: ****
4.3 Cultivated mushrooms: fresh prices rise, processed prices fall
In line with the growing demand for fresh French cultivated mushrooms, and although the share of fresh production has increased, it is still insufficient to meet demand. As a result, prices for fresh mushrooms have risen in recent years, as shown in the graph below.
Change in the average retail price ...
4.4 A breath of fresh air, with some innovative start-ups boosting the sector
New players have emerged as UFOs among the sector's traditional protagonists. Riding the wave of medicinal mushroom and home-growing trends already widespread in the USA, Canada and the UK, they are reinventing the sector with solutions tailored to the real demand for local, healthy consumption.
As a result, we're seeing a ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Marketing standards and regulations :
As vegetables that are often processed or frozen, mushrooms in all their forms must comply with a number of standards.
The international food standards for fruit and vegetables are listed in this book:[***].
European Union standards for cultivated mushrooms are available in this document [***].
UN and EEC standards:[***].
In general ...
5.2 Picking regulations
Mushroom picking is highly regulated, and in France it's forbidden to sell mushrooms that have been picked on a plot of land you don't own. Picking on private land is therefore punishable by a fine of up to €*** (***)
The[***] website lists the various laws in force concerning mushroom picking:
Article L. ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Lou Légumes
- La ferme de la Gontière
- France champignon
- Champignon Renaud
- Sabarot-Wassner
- France Champignon (Bonduelle groupe)
- Hifas da Terra
- Walkro
- UpCycle
List of charts presented in this market study
- Main mushroom-producing countries after China
- European mushroom production
- Motivations for sustainable food consumption
- Sales of organic fruit and vegetables
- Change in the value of the vegetable range
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Latest news
Sabarot inaugurates its 4.0 plant for pulses and cereals - 31/07/2023
- Groupe Sabarot inaugurated new production facilities on July 12, 2023
- Production: 5000 tonnes per year (frozen pulses)
- The company manages 7800 product references
- Group sales in 2022: €75 million, with 20% from exports
- The company has 160 employees Sales breakdown: 60% in the vegetable sector (lentils and quinoa) and 40% in the festive sector (wild mushrooms and snails).
Lou Légumes sets up a mushroom farm in Haute-Loire - 25/11/2022
- In 2021, Lou Légumes, 550 employees, sales of 27 million euros, 40 million in 2022 and 48 million euros in 2023,
- Investment of 14 million euros to build a mushroom farm
- fourth production site
- supermarkets account for over 90% of sales
- 70% of the French market is supplied by imports.
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