While mushroom picking is a popular pastime activity for many in Lithuania, for some it is part of their livelihood. This summer, however, mushroom prices are very low, pickers complain. The reason could be imports from Belarus and Russia.
Vladas, a resident of the town of Andrioniškis in north-eastern Anykščiai District, has been picking and selling mushrooms for a decade. This year, he says, prices are so low that he cannot survive on mushroom picking alone.
“They buy chanterelles for 1.5 euro a kilo. [...] That’s only enough for oil to fry some mushrooms for oneself,” says Vladas.
According to the Mushroom Pickers’ Association, in some places, a kilo of boletes – one of the most prized kinds of mushrooms – can fetch as little as 80 cents.
According to the mushroom pickers, the purchase price is falling because processors are importing mushrooms from abroad, particularly from neighbouring Russia and Belarus, where they can get them for two or three times cheaper.
“Even Lithuanians have registered companies there. They have been in business there for many years,” says Vytenis Daugudis, founder of the Mushroom Pickers’ Association.
Belarusian and Russian mushrooms are not destined for the Lithuanian market, but for the markets of other European countries, he adds. They are processed in the country and transported further west.
“Lithuania is the starting point, with fridges and dryers here,” says Daugudis.
Some companies in Russia may be moving their operations to Belarus, he adds.
“The ones that were registered in Russia have re-registered in Belarus. Apparently, the restrictions are lower,” says Daugudis.
“The sanctions against Russia are stricter, which means more goods are covered, there are stricter requirements not to be an investor, not to be involved in management [of companies,” says Mindaugas Petrauskas, head of the financial crime prevention department at Amlyze.
According to the State Data Agency, more than 250 tonnes of chantarelles were imported from Belarus and almost 90 tonnes from Russia this June alone.
Lithuanian customs authorities note there are no sanctions on mushrooms.
“Foodstuffs and agricultural products [from Russia and Belarus] are not banned for export or import. Except for a very small list of food products,” Customs spokesman Arūnas Adomėnas commented to LRT TV.
The Ministry of Agriculture, which drew up the list of sanctioned products, says that mushroom processors from Varėna District have requested an exemption from the sanctions. The Minister of Agriculture quotes their arguments as follows: “Our processing industry is highly developed, we have the facilities and we can process more. In this case, there will be a shortage of raw materials.”
According to Agriculture Minister Kazys Starkevičius, sanctions could be introduced on mushrooms from Russia and Belarus in the future.
However, mushroom processors dispute that there is a glut of Russian and Belarusian mushrooms. They say the prices are low because of falling consumption.
They claim that the purchase price is currently between 2 and 3 euros per kilogramme.
“As far as I know, imports have almost halted at the moment. Companies simply have nowhere to sell their mushrooms,” says Virginijus Varanavičius, head of the Association of Mushroom and Berry Entrepreneurs.
And mushrooms are imported only when needed.
“Lithuanian companies import some mushrooms when there is a need. To make up for shortfalls of mushrooms in Lithuania,” Varanavičius assues.
According to Petrauskas of Amlyze, it would not be difficult to impose sanctions on mushrooms.
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