Mushrooms Production in Australia (2020)

Overview of Mushrooms

The word mushroom is derived from the French word for fungi and moulds. One day, around 1650, a melon grower near Paris discovered these vegetables growing on his growth fertiliser. He decided to cultivate this new exotic delicacy commercially and to introduce it in exclusive Parisian restaurants. It was at that time that this was given the nickname ‘Parisian mushroom’. Later on, the French gardener, Chambry, discovered that the caves had just the right cool and moist environment for cultivating this vegetable, after that a large-scale mushroom cultivation developed in the caves around Paris.

Mushrooms refer to a number of edible items that are particularly grown for human consumption. These include button, cup, flat and brown mushrooms. Additionally, there are a number of exotic such as shimeji and oyster. Furthermore, these vegetables are grown in the populated centres of Australia.

Statistics

As of June 2020:

1. Approximately 68,823 tonnes of mushrooms were grown and valued at $367.8 million. Out of this total figure, 3% was sent for processing.
2. Based on the volume supplied, the supply per capita was recorded at 2.7 kg.
3. $450 million was the wholesale value of the fresh supply of this vegetable, and $352 million was distributed into retail. Also, $98.4 million went into food service.
4. Over 69% of the Australian shoppers bought mushrooms, hence, buying an average of 291 grams per trip.

Production Areas in Australia

Mushrooms are mostly grown in all states across Australia. However, the major production areas are near Adelaide, Melbourne Metro in Victoria and the Sydney Basin in New South Wales.