January is, by all objective standards, the gloomiest month of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere at least.
This year is no different, at least as far as the mushroom industry is concerned. Composting yards are finding it hard at this time of the year due to the scarcity of straw.
This year the situation is worse than it has been for a long time or according to some compost men worse than it ever has been.
There seems to be no straw out there at all. Prices being asked, for what can be turned up, are apparently farcical.
Compost yards are struggling. It would appear that they're all in the same boat. Growers may find that short supply will cause compost prices to rise in the short term.
If straw has to be sourced from across the water, the costs could prove prohibitive.
