MEETING
International Symposium in Brazil
Sorocaba, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, hosted the 8th International Mushroom Symposium (SICOG) from 18 to 22 August. The event has changed compared with about 8 years ago and now focused more on mushroom growers in Brazil.
By Jos Buth (with contributions from Kasper Moreaux)
josbuth@gmail.com T
he momentum is gradually increas- ing in the Brazilian mushroom sector, and many companies are making serious efforts to lift the
sector to a more professional level, especially in the state of Parana. Huge progress is being made there with professional compost production. Partly as a consequence, mushroom quality has improved and production become more consist- ent, which is necessary to grow the market. The greatest concentration of growers is still found in Mogi das Cruzes, a 45-minute drive east of Sao Paulo, but many farms there have switched to cultivating oyster mushrooms due to the low prices for mushrooms for the processing market. Imported Chinese mushrooms are still upsetting the market in Brazil, so for farms to survive the only real option is to grow for the fresh market. The cultivation of shiitake is on the rise and
can’t meet demand at the moment due to a lack of sterile substrate. Florida oyster mushroom is also very popular in Brazil, and sold under the confusing name of ‘White Shimeji’. In the meantime, growers have united in a registered mushroom growers’ association. This association represents the interests of the sector despite the fact that many farms underestimate the value. In Brazil, growers still operate indi- vidually too much and the association is trying to encourage growers to join forces. A media campaign is being used to stimulate mushroom consumption, and the import of conserved Chinese mushrooms has been scrutinised to protect Brazilian growers. The profile of the sector is also being raised in other areas too. For example, officially no biological control agents are permitted as mushroom growing is such a small sector and officially barely exists.
Mr Kab-Yeul Jang from Korea spoke on the
mushroom industry in South Korea.
Mushroom snacks were in high demand at the conference
26 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
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