The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries published the 2024 Special Forest Products Production Statistics Survey Results, reporting that edible mushroom production totaled 434,583 tons, down 0.3% from the previous year, while bamboo shoots increased 26.2% to 20,863 tons and charcoal decreased 8.7% to 10,207 tons.
For edible mushrooms, shiitake production was 87,234 tons (down 2.1% year-on-year), enokitake was 128,945 tons (up 1.2%), and bunashimeji was 102,678 tons (down 0.8%). The decrease in shiitake was mainly due to adverse weather conditions in the Kyushu region, which is a major production area, and rising production costs. The significant increase in bamboo shoots was attributed to favorable climate conditions in spring and production expansion in new cultivation areas.
The decrease in charcoal production was primarily due to the withdrawal of producers due to aging and difficulties in securing raw wood. By regional production status, for mushrooms, Nagano, Niigata, and Hokkaido prefectures ranked at the top, while for bamboo shoots, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, and Kyoto prefectures were the main production areas. For charcoal, production in Iwate, Kochi, and Miyazaki prefectures accounted for about 40% of the total.
In terms of price trends, mushroom unit prices rose 2.8% year-on-year, reflecting steady demand. Charcoal unit prices increased 5.4% due to concentration of demand for high-quality products. Meanwhile, bamboo shoot unit prices fell 18.3% due to abundant harvest.
The article shows that special forest products production faces challenges such as climate change and labor shortages, with varying outcomes by product category.