Italian mushroom sector is proud but also has concerns

The mushroom sector is holding up well in Italy. Prices are reasonably stable and consumers do not notice excessive increases in supermarkets either. Nevertheless, the growers see their profit margins shrinking due to the increase in raw material costs. "The increase in the cost of raw materials and energy - after all, energy consumption is high in the cultivation facilities - worries us. Our future does not look bright if the government does not intervene to support the sector," says Andrea Prando, president of the Italian Association of Mushroom Growers. "The Italian product is very popular on the market. The quality is very high. We carry out a lot of checks and the processing is done very carefully. Unfortunately, our farms, which use as much energy as energy-intensive industrial companies, are not sufficiently supported by the government. ." All cultivated mushrooms that the Italian consumer finds in the supermarket every day are grown in Italy and undergo very strict quality ...