Opening
The opening on 18 November consisted of a practically-focussed session with presentations by Thei Staaks, Helen Grogan and Patrick Sedeyn, and an official part with speeches by Bart Naeyaert, Mia Demeulemeester, Nancy Pyck and a panel discussion. A tour of the premises was also part of the proceedings. Bart Naeyaert, Deputy of the Province of West Flanders responsible for agriculture and fis- heries explained: “The mushroom growing sector in West Flanders was once a leading light in the whole of Europe. However, under pressure exerted by Polish imports, the sector has been drastically pruned and restructured in the past ten years. The number of growers has shrunk considerably, but the total production volume of mushrooms has remained stable.” In 2016 producers in West Flanders still account for 51.4 % of total annual mushroom production in Belgium. “Numerous companies have reinvested in up-scaling, cropping cycles, logistics and operational reorganisation. Plus, a clear trend is the increasing preference of Belgian consumers for locally produced mushrooms, even if they are a little more expensive to buy.” In addition, the neighbouring countries do not have a government funded, research infrastruc- ture with practical facilities. “Inagro’s role as a unique centre of excellence for practice-focussed research and consultancy is also recognised and valued on an international level”, according to Naeyaert. His words were backed up by the huge international delegation that attended the opening. Practically all the major companies and research institutes from the wider surrounding region were represented.
The Belgian sector
Cheap imports of mushrooms from Poland have steadily decimated the number of Belgian mushrooms farms over the past 20 years, cutting numbers from 137 to 33. Half of these farms are found in West Flanders. The number of compa- nies producing compost has also declined, from eight to three. The number of jobs in the sector has mirrored the falling trend. In 1996 mushroom growers employed a labour force of 1300, while today that figure has fallen to around 700. Despite this pattern, total production in Belgium has remained stable since the 1980s: it is currently estimated at 28,000 tonnes, of which some 15,500 tonnes are produced in West-Flanders.
Until the early 1980s the yield was 20 kg/m2 in a
12-week cropping cycle. Partly due to research into fertilisers, better technical installations and improved hygiene, fewer diseases and better spread, yields of 30 kg/m2 in a six-week cycle are no longer an exception. Patrick Sedeyn, resear-
cher at the department: “Thanks to improve- ments in cultivation methods, we succeed in generating 85% of the yield in the first two weeks of harvesting. On some farms, the cropping cycle has even been reduced to four or five weeks.” An organised marketing structure for the mushroom sector via auctions was set up in the 1970s. This marketing channel subsequently formed an additional incentive for further growth. Today, many growers still opt to market their produce via a cooperative. Others have direct contact with their customers and one group pf growers has specialised in production for the conserving and frozen mushroom industries.
Close consultation
Since its inception, Inagro has maintained a good relationship with growers and industry suppliers in West-Flanders. “Composters are a vital lifeline for mushroom growing. Environ- mental and hygiene demands, and the invest- ments these entailed, caused the composting sector to upscale its activities. Moreover, these efforts of composters in the past 20 years have led to compost with a consistently good quality”, says Sedeyn. The preparations for modernisation therefore took place in close consultation with the sector. These talks revealed three important themes.
Firstly, the battle against pests and diseases has to be intensified, preferably using environmen- tally friendly methods. “Research, hygiene measures and, primarily, shorter cropping cycles, have resulted in a drastic reduction in the use of crop protection products. Mould diseases such as bubble and cobweb pose an immense threat to production. Prevention of pests and diseases is therefore one of the spearheads of our research at Inagro”, explains Sedeyn. “Inagro now has three new trial growing rooms equipped with a hygiene sluice with under-pres- sure or over-pressure. In efficiency trials, when we infect healthy mushrooms with pests or diseases, there is no risk of cross-contamination or internal infection spreading to other mushroom crops”.
Bart Naeyaert at the offi cial opening.
The
environmentally friendly battle against, and prevention of
pests and diseases is one of the spearheads of Inagro research.
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 15
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