Demand is starting to increase for exotic mushrooms in Canada. "Every year there's a pattern in that demand is lower in the summer, from May until August. However demand started picking up again at the beginning of September," says Sammy You, operations director for Nebo Mushrooms, adding that demand will continue to strengthen into the winter for the holiday season.
In varieties of exotic mushrooms, Shiitake is still the most popular item in the category and the company is also starting to grow Flower Shiitake mushrooms. "It's very similar to Shiitakes but it has these very beautiful cracks on the cap of the mushroom and it looks like a flower–that is how it was named," says You. "Some larger retailers are showing interest in it so we're in our experimental phase of production."
© Nebo Mushrooms
Localizing growing resources
There's something else that retailers are also asking of this grower-shipper based in Hamilton, Ontario. "Some bigger retailers are asking mushroom farms to also build the mushroom log that mushrooms such as Shiitakes grow on, locally in Canada instead of bringing it in from another country such as China," says You, adding that it has already localized the production of substrate bags to grow Oyster mushrooms and Lion's Mane mushrooms. "We are also starting to localize the production of Shiitake logs."
On its own production, the company largely distributes across Canada, more so into Eastern Canada, with some small volume into the U.S. as well.
As for exotic mushroom pricing, it's looking similar to this time last year. "Generally pricing is quite steady though in the lower demand season, we often work with retailers to do some promotions," says You.
For more information:
Sammy You
Nebo Mushrooms Ltd.
Tel: +1 (905)-577-5660
[email protected]
https://www.nebomushrooms.com/