CONTENTS ‘Small but strong’?


The Dutch mushroom growing sector seems to have had quite a lot to celebrate lately. Festivities such as the Open Days at van Asseldonk, the National Mushroom Day (DNP) at the Sikes farm and the offi cial opening of the new mushroom pavilion at Museum De Locht.


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Euromycel conference in Dobroń. Innovation at Dutch Mushroom Day. Truffl es in Morocco. My farm: Haymes Farm (UK). Van Asseldonk Open Days. Opening Dutch mushroom museum. Amycel France expands. Friends of the environment.


And....


Cultivation tips AdVisie News


ISMS News Focus


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Cultivation tips DLV Plant Mushrooms 36 Out and about Service


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Cover foto: At the Dutch National Mushroom Day at Sikes farm, the casing soil separating ma- chine of MushComb was displayed. Photo: Roel Dreve


Roel Dreve Tel. +31 (0)6 23617575 roel@mushroombusiness.com www.mushroombusiness.nl


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, chairman Uli Schnier of Fair Produce was full of compliments about the quality mark, without, however, mentioning any concrete results or fi gures. Asserting that the sector should be looking at cost management as well as fi nding ‘market confi dence’ and ‘distinctive added value’ is stating the obvious. But nobody seems to ask why the Dutch failed to continue breathing life into the hard-fought for Eu- ropean promotional campaign that was launched just three years ago. England and Ireland have successfully secured a follow-on. Fair Produce was probably necessary, but is essentially a rearguard action designed to achieve an aim that should already have been embedded in the sector in the fi rst place. And, moreover, I understand that some farms that harvest mechanically, where in fact compliance to labour legislation is hardly an issue, are not all that keen to cough up 1500 euros a year to prove that their virtually non-existent workforce is treated fairly. Whereas ‘saving the sector’ was occasionally an item at meetings of the Dutch Mushroom Growers Association in the past, the mushroom group of umbrella organisation for agriculture and horticulture LTO now seems to be silent on the matter, even though it is supported by 50% of Dutch growers. At the DNP


, chairman Ko Hooijmans summed up a list of feats such as Fair Produce, organising the DNP , the


Mushroom Days, the ISMS conference and Floriade 2012. Admittedly, all excellent initiatives and events, but in the meantime production in Poland is expected to reach 330,000 tons this year, and every two years the number of growers attending the DNP continues to decline.


Has the era of all shoulders to the wheel, deeds as well as words, acting together to achieve a common goal and buil- ding new farms disappeared for good in the Netherlands? The words of Patrick van der Broeck, member of the Pro- vincial Executive, at the museum opening: ‘You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you come from ’certainly ring true. They undoubtedly know their past here in the Netherlands, but I sometimes wonder if they can see the future.


But maybe I worry too much. Before the Soccer World Cup started, I didn’t fancy the chances of the Dutch team much. And now, yes (as al- ways…) the Orange will win this tournament!


That the Netherlands is home to the best mushroom growing farms was made plain for all to see and admire. The con- certed efforts that resulted in the fi ne display on show at De Locht deserve high praise. And the pioneering role played by the Dutch industry in the fi eld of sustainability and energy saving was once again emphasised. These are items that this publication is happy to devote plenty of column inches to. However, at all these gatherings I still had a nagging sense that something is missing – the Big Story, the Way Forwards, the Sector Plan. I recently spoke with John Kidder of Monte- rey Mushrooms. Mushrooms don’t really taste better in the USA, but they are sold along with a Story, such as vitamin D. Or they are packaged to entice and engage consumers. Growers in the States know the turnover of mushrooms in their supermarkets, and consult intensively about their com- mon interest (selling more mushrooms). In Australia, growers are penalised if they fail to contribute to the joint promotional campaigns. And it works, thanks to the properly structured approach. The sector in Poland is extremely skilled at taking advantage of the available subsidies and tax benefi ts. At the DNP


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editorial


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