A recent report of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) about the 2013 – 2014 season, shows that the production of mushrooms in the US reached close to 900 million pounds (408 million kg). Compared to the previous seasons, this is an increase of 1 %. The production of organic mushrooms went up by 65%. Despite this strong growth, organic mushrooms still represent a small part (3%) of the total mushroom sales in the US.
The average price of mushrooms (received by grower at the first point of sales) was US$ 1.24/pound (US$ 2,76/kg). This is the same price as in the previous season. The total value of sales went up by 1 % to US$ 1.12 billion.
The number of US growers in the 2013 -2014 season went up by 44 more to 348. This due to an increased by 24% (to 259) of growers of speciality mushrooms, such as Shiitake, Oyster and other exotics. But while there were more growers of these sorts, the total production went down by 6.4% to 18.7 million pound (8.5 million kg)
Agaricus mushrooms have the biggest production volume in the US. The sales was 882 million pounds, which is 1% up compared to the 2012-2013 season. Pennsylvania accounted for 65% of the total volume of sales and second-ranked California contributed 12%.
The value of the Agaricus crop was estimated at US$1.05 billion dollars, up 1 percent from a year ago. Brown mushrooms, including Portabello and Crimini varieties, accounted for 152 million pounds (68 million kg), up slightly from last season. Brown mushrooms accounted for 17% of the total Agaricus volume sold and 22% of the total Agaricus value.
The total number of Agaricus growers in the United States, at 103, was down 4 from last season. Growers with sales exceeding 10 million pounds (4,5 million kg) accounted for 77% of United States Agaricus sales, or 679 million pounds (305 million kg). United States fresh market sales of Agaricus mushrooms totaled 769 million pounds (346 million kg), up 1% from the previous season, while processed sales, at 113 million pounds (51 million kg), was up 2% from the previous season. Growers reported United States fresh market production made up 87% of total sales volume, while processed production represented the remaining 13%. Grower total filling intentions for the 2014-2015 crop are 137 million square feet, up 2% from the total fillings in the 2013-2014 season.
The 59 growers of Agaricus mushrooms in Chester County, Pennsylvania produced 435 million pounds (196 million kg), an increase of 10 percent compared with the 2012-2013 growing season. This production was valued at 412 million dollars, up 11 percent from the previous season. The growing area in Chester County was 12.4 million square feet, up 2 percent from last season. Total fillings were 63.6 million square feet, up 11 percent from the 2012-2013 growing season.
Specialties and organic
Value of sales for commercially grown specialty mushrooms in 2013-2014 totaled US$ 65.7 million, which is less than 1 % more than in the 2012-2013 season. The average price received by growers, at $3.70/pound (US$ 8.22/kg), was up 19 % from the previous season.
Growers of mushrooms that were certified organic, produced 43.2 million pounds during the 2013-2014 growing season. This is 65% above 2012-2013. Agaricus mushrooms accounted for 75 percent of the mushrooms sold as certified organic, while all specialty mushrooms made up the remainder. The total certified organic sales of all mushrooms represents 3% of the 2013-2014 total mushroom sales. The number of certified organic mushroom growers totaled 61. This is an increase of 3 compared to the previous season. These growers represent 18% of the total of 348 mushroom producers.
USDA report: http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/mush0814.pdf
