The Fixture: Two Countries, 43.2% of EU Mushrooms
In 2024 the EU-27 harvested 1 054.1 thousand tonnes of cultivated mushrooms, and the top of the table reads Poland 255.4 thousand tonnes (24.2%) followed by the Netherlands on 200.0 (19.0%). Those two countries alone account for 43.2% of the union’s crop.
The margin is real but not vast: 55.4 thousand tonnes, or 27.7% more than the Dutch harvest. In 2015 the fixture looked the other way round — the Netherlands led with 310.0 thousand tonnes (27.5%) against Poland’s 191.5 (17.0%), a Dutch lead of 118.5 thousand tonnes.
The handover came in 2020, when Poland jumped to 320.0 thousand tonnes against 260.0 for the Netherlands. It is the only change of EU leader in the whole 2015-2024 window: the Netherlands topped the table from 2015 to 2019, Poland every year from 2020 to 2024.
Year-by-year EU mushroom leader and the two rivals’ production, dataset apro_cpsh1, window 2015-2024.
| Year | EU leader | Poland (1 000 t) | Netherlands (1 000 t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Netherlands | 191.5 | 310.0 |
| 2016 | Netherlands | 202.8 | 300.0 |
| 2017 | Netherlands | 198.8 | 300.0 |
| 2018 | Netherlands | 200.2 | 300.0 |
| 2019 | Netherlands | 234.7 | 270.0 |
| 2020 | Poland | 320.0 | 260.0 |
| 2021 | Poland | 378.8 | 260.0 |
| 2022 | Poland | 256.8 | 235.0 |
| 2023 | Poland | 240.4 | 205.0 |
| 2024 | Poland | 255.4 | 200.0 |
Two Models, Two Trajectories: Poland Up 33.4%, the Netherlands Down 35.5%
Set the two series side by side and the shapes barely overlap. Poland ends the decade 33.4% above its 2015 level (191.5 to 255.4 thousand tonnes), a compound rate of +3.25% a year; the Netherlands ends 35.5% below its own (310.0 to 200.0), or −4.75% a year.
The Dutch line points almost only downwards after 2016: 310.0 thousand tonnes in 2015, three years flat at 300.0, then 270.0 in 2019, 260.0 in 2020 and 2021, 235.0 in 2022, 205.0 in 2023 and a decade low of 200.0 in 2024.
Poland’s path is far less even: 191.5, then a dip to 198.8 in 2017, a jump to 320.0 in 2020 and a peak of 378.8 thousand tonnes in 2021 before settling at 256.8, 240.4 and 255.4. Its coefficient of variation over the window is 23.0%, the highest among the leading producers, against 14.4% for the Netherlands. Spain and France complete this four-way chart: Spain closes 2024 third in the EU at 161.9 thousand tonnes (15.4%) and France is fourth with 100.0 (9.5%).
Poland and Netherlands cultivated mushroom indicators, 2015-2024, dataset apro_cpsh1.
| Indicator | Poland | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 production (1 000 t) | 255.4 | 200.0 |
| 2015 production (1 000 t) | 191.5 | 310.0 |
| Net change 2015-2024 | +33.4% | −35.5% |
| CAGR 2015-2024 | +3.25%/yr | −4.75%/yr |
| CV 2015-2024 | 23.0% | 14.4% |
| Peak year (1 000 t) | 2021 — 378.8 | 2015 — 310.0 |
| Low year (1 000 t) | 2015 — 191.5 | 2024 — 200.0 |
| 2024 share of EU | 24.2% | 19.0% |
The Decade in Shares: Poland +7.2 Points, the Netherlands −8.5
Read the same decade as shares of EU output and the swap is starker. Poland’s slice of EU cultivated mushrooms rose from 17.0% in 2015 to 24.2% in 2024, a gain of 7.2 percentage points; the Netherlands’ fell from 27.5% to 19.0%, a loss of 8.5 points.
Together the two countries held 44.5% of the EU crop in 2015 and 43.2% in 2024. The face-off is therefore a rotation of share inside a duopoly of almost the same size, not a widening of it.
The base underneath them shrank slightly: EU-27 output went from 1 128.0 to 1 054.1 thousand tonnes, down 6.6% over the decade (−1.12% a year). Other producers moved far less in share terms — Germany from 5.5% to 7.4% (+1.9 points), Ireland from 6.4% to 6.7% (+0.3), France flat at 9.5% at both ends of the window.
Share of the EU-27 cultivated mushroom crop at the two ends of the window; changes in percentage points, dataset apro_cpsh1.
| Producer | 2015 share of EU | 2024 share of EU | Change (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 17.0% | 24.2% | +7.2 |
| Netherlands | 27.5% | 19.0% | −8.5 |
| France | 9.5% | 9.5% | 0.0 |
| Germany | 5.5% | 7.4% | +1.9 |
| Ireland | 6.4% | 6.7% | +0.3 |
Spain, France, Germany: The Chasing Pack Behind the Duopoly
The 2024 ranking behind the two leaders is a long way back. Spain is third with 161.9 thousand tonnes (15.4%), France fourth with 100.0 (9.5%) and Germany fifth with 77.7 (7.4%).
The distances show the size of that gap: Spain trails the Netherlands by 38.1 thousand tonnes and Poland by 93.5, and France sits 155.4 thousand tonnes behind the leader. The top four together account for 68.0% of the EU crop, the top five 75.4%.
The chasers also move in different directions. France is 6.9% below its 2015 level (−0.79% a year), with a 2018 low of 83.0 and a 2020 peak of 132.2 thousand tonnes; Germany is 24.1% above it (+2.42% a year), the best decade trend outside Poland. Ireland, sixth at 70.2 thousand tonnes (6.7%), is the steadiest series of all with a CV of 2.9%.
Top eight EU cultivated mushroom producers in 2024, dataset apro_cpsh1.
| Rank | Country | 2024 production (1 000 t) | Share of EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland | 255.4 | 24.2% |
| 2 | Netherlands | 200.0 | 19.0% |
| 3 | Spain | 161.9 | 15.4% |
| 4 | France | 100.0 | 9.5% |
| 5 | Germany | 77.7 | 7.4% |
| 6 | Ireland | 70.2 | 6.7% |
| 7 | Hungary | 61.6 | 5.8% |
| 8 | Italy | 60.6 | 5.7% |
What the Duopoly Means for Buyers: A Stability Read Through CV
Combined, the two rivals supplied 455.4 thousand tonnes in 2024 — 43.2% of the EU crop — and their production paths could hardly be more different. Poland’s CV of 23.0% is the widest among the leading producers; the Netherlands’ 14.4% is steadier. None of that variety shows up at EU level, where the coefficient of variation is only 6.9%.
The EU line ran from 1 128.0 thousand tonnes in 2015 to a peak of 1 258.3 in 2021 and a low of 1 036.6 in 2023, then recovered to 1 054.1 in 2024 — a 221.7 thousand tonne span between peak and low, or 21.4% of the low.
Steadiness is not the same as size: Ireland’s CV of 2.9% and Germany’s 7.4% are far below Poland’s 23.0%, yet each supplies under a third of Poland’s volume. For a buyer watching this market, the figures themselves are the useful signal: the leadership has changed once in ten years, and the pair’s combined share has barely moved (44.5% in 2015, 43.2% in 2024).
Growth and stability indicators for the two rivals and the EU-27 total, dataset apro_cpsh1, window 2015-2024.
| Indicator | Poland | Netherlands | EU-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 production (1 000 t) | 255.4 | 200.0 | 1 054.1 |
| 2015 production (1 000 t) | 191.5 | 310.0 | 1 128.0 |
| Net change 2015-2024 | +33.4% | −35.5% | −6.6% |
| CAGR 2015-2024 | +3.25%/yr | −4.75%/yr | −1.12%/yr |
| CV 2015-2024 | 23.0% | 14.4% | 6.9% |
| Peak year (1 000 t) | 2021 — 378.8 | 2015 — 310.0 | 2021 — 1 258.3 |
| Low year (1 000 t) | 2015 — 191.5 | 2024 — 200.0 | 2023 — 1 036.6 |
| 2024 share of EU | 24.2% | 19.0% | 100.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country produces the most mushrooms in the EU?
Poland, with 255.4 thousand tonnes of cultivated mushrooms in 2024 — 24.2% of the EU-27 total. The Netherlands followed at 200.0 thousand tonnes (19.0%) and Spain third at 161.9 (15.4%).
How do Poland and the Netherlands compare in mushroom farming?
They run in opposite directions. Poland’s output rose 33.4% over 2015-2024 (+3.25% a year), from 191.5 to 255.4 thousand tonnes; the Netherlands’ fell 35.5% (−4.75% a year), from 310.0 to 200.0. Poland’s series is also the more volatile, with a CV of 23.0% against 14.4%.
When did Poland overtake the Netherlands?
In 2020, when Poland reached 320.0 thousand tonnes against 260.0 for the Netherlands. The Netherlands had led the EU from 2015 to 2019 and Poland has led every year since — the only change of leader in the 2015-2024 window.
Are EU mushroom harvests stable?
At EU level, yes: the coefficient of variation over 2015-2024 is 6.9%, with output between a 2023 low of 1 036.6 and a 2021 peak of 1 258.3 thousand tonnes. Individual countries swing far more — Poland’s CV is 23.0% and Ireland’s only 2.9%.
Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.
This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.
