Van Hassel, Rademakers, Pleunis and Stuckmann in discussion during the farm walk.


Bunkers at Bio Mushroom GmbH in Kevelaer: good for production of 280 tons of oyster mushrooms annually.


the afternoon sessions. Jan Koopmans held a passionate plea for better marketing of exotic mushrooms. What is the point of growing fabulous produce with greater efficiency if no one wants to buy it? Why are consumers still unaware of the health beneficial properties of mushrooms – an awareness that is second nature to Asian consumers? Who can try and get mushrooms promoted as an ingredient in the cookery programmes on television? “We are growers, not marketers, but aren’t there any creative spirits here who can add some sex appeal to exotic mushrooms?” Jan also raised a few grievances on the technical side: one is a much-needed range of sporeless oyster mushroom varieties, and research is needed into better management of the flushes. Finally he also called for better communication between growers. The following presentation carried on perfectly where he left off, by briefly introducing the Cooperative Association for Growers of Oyster Mushrooms and Mushrooms, a working party of 18 Dutch oyster mushroom growers who regularly convene and brainstorm. Board member Marielle Van Lieshout was unable to attend, so Jan spoke on her behalf. By charging a contribution fee of 5 euros per ton of compost, the association has managed to scrape together an annual budget of 30,000 euros. This fund is mainly used to promote the use of oyster mush- rooms via social media. But databases are also being created filled with technical information, which can form the foundation to optimise the raw materials and cultivation in general. Under the title “The future of exotic mushroom growing under increasingly sterile conditions”, three professionals shared their perspectives on hygiene in growing. Magda Verfaillie (Mycelia, spawn producer) spoke based on her wide experience in preparing spawn and lecturing on mycelium production. Underpinned by her motto ‘prevention is better than cure’ three pillars of hygiene were reviewed that help achieve an


infection-free farm: ultra-filtration of over- pressure air, rules of conduct for employees and cleaning and disinfecting machines and surfaces. Bert Rademakers (CNC Exotic Mushrooms, substrate producer) compared the two methods of sterilising substrate: in individual packages or in bulk. He discussed the infection risks involved in each stage of production, and pointed out the risk of up-scaling without applying tighter hygiene and regulations.


Jürgen Kynast ( Kynast- Löcke, substrate producer) has a good track record as a grower of a wide range of exotic mushrooms, and was the ideal speaker to talk about hygiene in growing rooms. He focussed on the transmission and spread of pests and diseases between the various areas on a farm. The main vectors are air, insects, people and materials. The only way to prevent cross-contamination is by imposing strict hygiene, combined with checking the air quality.


License to (Fair) Produce The last speaker was Uli Schnier, chairman of Fair Produce (FP) in the Netherlands. This foundation was established in 2011 in response to the scandal surrounding the exploitation of foreign labour in the mushroom growing sector. The members observe specified standards and guidelines relating to good practice for salaries and accommodation for foreign labour. They voluntarily take part in internal and external audits, and risk possible sanctions if any irregu- larities are identified. FP is funded by subsidies, inspection fees and contributions from producers and traders. The market is responding positively to the initiative: a growing number of traders and customers ask for mushrooms certified with the FP quality mark, which can now be supplied by 95% of growers. The honour of closing this interesting and packed day fell to Ulrich Groos, who had a word of praise and a gift for the speakers, and invited everyone to take part in the activities planned for 2016.


“Aren’t there any creative spirits here who can add some sex appeal to exotic mushrooms?”


 MUSHROOM BUSINESS 11


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