20 April 2025
Straw shortages drive mushroom compost prices
Straw shortages have resulted in a significant rise in the price of mushroom compost, according to the Teagasc Horticulture Crop Input Prices 2025 report.
Published earlier this year, the report highlights an 8.9% increase in the price of mushroom substrate between January 2024 and January 2025, bringing mushroom substrate to 34% of total input costs for mushroom production, with mushroom compost making up 30.6% and mushroom casing accounting for 3.4% of total input costs.
One element responsible for this increase is the shortage in wheat straw supply, the main component in mushroom compost. This shortage was primarily due to a combination of reduced planting areas for winter 2023 sown and spring 2024 sown crops, alongside tillage farmers opting for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM).
The report notes a 20% drop in the area of winter wheat harvested in 2024 compared to 2023, declining from 51,200ha to 40,800ha. And even though spring wheat plantings increased, it was not sufficient to offset the overall reduction in wheat straw production.
Although the introduction of the Baling Assistance Payment in July 2024 allowed some farmers to withdraw from the SIM and bolster straw supplies, there was still a significant shortfall in straw when compared with previous years.
Given this shortfall, mushroom composters have had to import straw from the UK and Spain. In January 2024, the average price of mushroom compost in Ireland was €238/t, whereas the average price of mushroom compost in January 2025 was €259/t, representing an 8.7% increase. Additionally, straw availability will remain challenging in 2025 until the winter wheat crop is harvested.
Mushroom casing prices also increased in the reference period by 13.3%. This is mainly driven by an increase in transport and labour costs for the mushroom casing suppliers.