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Processed food

Export mushrooms

Canned and brined button mushrooms, dried oyster and shiitake. Processed forms travel far better than fresh.

Free to exportHS 0709.51
HS code
0709.51
Fresh mushrooms of the genus Agaricus (button). Dried mushrooms are 0712.31–0712.39; mushrooms preserved in brine or cans are 2003.10.
Export policy
Free to export
Free.
Registrations
5
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 2.7 mn
to 18 countries

What is exported

India grows button, oyster, paddy-straw and milky mushrooms, with large button-mushroom units in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu. APEDA counts mushrooms within processed vegetables, a group that went mainly to the USA, the UK, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in 2025-26. Fresh mushrooms keep only a few days, so most exports are canned, brined, frozen or dried.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)Most of India’s commercial output; exported canned, brined or frozen.
  • Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus)Easy to grow; mostly sold dried.
  • Milky and paddy-straw mushroomWarm-climate types grown in the south and east.
  • Dried and powdered mushroom (0712 31, 0712 39)Light to ship, long shelf life — the easiest start for a small exporter.

Where it is grown or made

  • HaryanaSonipat and the NCR belt — large button-mushroom units.
  • PunjabCommercial button-mushroom farms and canning.
  • Himachal Pradesh and UttarakhandSolan (ICAR Directorate of Mushroom Research); Dehradun region.
  • Tamil NaduClimate-controlled button-mushroom export units.

Season

Climate-controlled farms crop all year; seasonal growers in the plains produce button mushrooms in winter.

Export packing

  • Canned or brined mushroom in tins and drums; frozen IQF slices in cartons in reefers.
  • Dried mushroom in moisture-proof lined bags or retail pouches.
  • Fresh mushroom keeps only a few days chilled — air freight only, to near markets.

Who buys abroad

  • Food-service and canned-food importers in the USA and UK
  • Importers in the Gulf, the Philippines and Indonesia
  • Soup, sauce and ready-meal manufacturers (dried and powder)

The quality buyers ask for

Canned mushrooms
Codex standard for canned mushrooms (CXS 55-1981): styles (whole, sliced, pieces and stems), drained weight and defect limits
Dried mushrooms
AGMARK grade specification for dried edible mushrooms (DMI); low moisture so they stay mould-free
Fresh button mushrooms
White, closed caps, graded by cap diameter; no brown spots, open veils or slime
Contaminants
Pesticide residues and heavy metals within destination limits; buyers check casing-soil and disinfectant residues
US canned food rule
Canned mushrooms are a low-acid canned food: FDA FCE registration and SID process filing are needed (21 CFR 108 and 113)

Certificates

  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where the food is packed or stored for export. Apply on FoSCoS.
  • APEDA RCMCRequiredRegistration with APEDA, issued as an RCMC on the DGFT portal. Since 15 Sep 2026, a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB can go without it.
  • FDA FCE / SID (canned, for the USA)RequiredRequired for low-acid canned mushrooms sold in the USA.
  • Phytosanitary certificate (fresh and dried)Often askedMany importing countries ask for one for fresh and dried mushrooms; not usually for canned.
  • HACCPOften askedA food-safety plan that identifies hazards at each processing step and controls them. Most importers ask for it from the processing unit.
  • BRCGS Food SafetyOften askedGFSI-recognised standard asked for by UK and many EU supermarkets for private-label packing.
  • Organic (NPOP / NOP / EU)Often askedNeeded only if you sell the product as organic: NPOP certification by an accredited body, plus the buyer market’s own organic rules.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Canned mushrooms in cartons of tins fill a 20-ft dry container to its weight limit; IQF mushrooms go in reefers at –18 °C; fresh mushrooms fly in small cartons.

How it travels

Sea for canned, brined, IQF and dried; air for fresh.

Storage

Fresh: typically 0–2 °C with high humidity, never broken. Dried: sealed and dry. Canned: cool and dry.

Shelf life

Fresh only about a week; dried and canned typically 1–2 years.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • EU retail packs (Regulation 1169/2011): name of the food, ingredients with allergens highlighted, net quantity, best-before date, storage conditions, the EU importer’s name and address, and origin where required — in the language of the country of sale.
  • USA (21 CFR 101): product name, net quantity in both US and metric units, ingredients, allergens, name and place of business of the packer or distributor, Nutrition Facts unless exempt; and “Product of India” marking (19 CFR 134).
  • Gulf countries: Arabic text (Arabic plus English is normal), production and expiry dates, net weight, country of origin and the importer’s details. Confirm the current rules with your importer.
  • Lot or batch number on every pack and bag — FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 require it, and every importing country uses it to trace and recall.
Where to get it tested

Use an FSSAI-notified lab (fssai.gov.in → notified labs) or an NABL-accredited lab for residues, heavy metals and microbes (search nabl-india.org); APEDA-recognised labs are listed on apeda.gov.in → Quality → Recognised Organisations. For US canned goods, a qualified process authority sets the thermal process.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • APEDARegistration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) for APEDA-scheduled products. Apply on the DGFT portal after you have your IEC.dgft.gov.in ↗
  • FSSAIFood business licence. FSSAI rules put food exporters under the Central licence; apply on FoSCoS and keep it valid for the premises you pack from.foscos.fssai.gov.in ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant produce, applied for online on PQMS. Some markets also need the farm, packhouse or mill to be registered with Plant Quarantine.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Pesticide residues and, for canned product, commercial sterility, tin integrity and label compliance.
  • Heavy metals and microbiology in dried mushrooms; moisture low enough to stop mould.
  • For the USA, canned low-acid foods need FDA process filing in addition to facility registration.
How to start small

Start with dried oyster or shiitake mushrooms in food-grade pouches, or brined button mushrooms in drums, made in an FSSAI-licensed unit, and ship a trial lot to a Gulf or UK importer. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires for the product still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Trying to export fresh mushrooms by sea; they will not survive the voyage.
  • Under-processed cans that swell in transit; validate the retort process before scaling up.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (3)
  1. APEDA — Processed Vegetables profile (incl. mushrooms; destinations 2025-26)
  2. APEDA — Importing countries’ regulations
  3. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian mushrooms exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 2.7 mn
-21.2% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -16.6%
US$ 3.3 mn → US$ 2.7 mn
Buyer countries
18
Average export price
US$ 5.49
per kg · 493 tonnes shipped · US$ 7.73 the year before
France: US$ 990kBhutan: US$ 440kGermany: US$ 120kNepal: US$ 80kUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 60kIndonesia: US$ 50kCanada: US$ 30kSaudi Arabia: US$ 30kUnited States of America: US$ 20kChina: US$ 20kSingapore: US$ 10kQatar: US$ 10kUnited Kingdom: US$ 10kOman: US$ 10kFrance: US$ 990kFranceBhutan: US$ 440kBhutanGermany: US$ 120kNepal: US$ 80kUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 60kUnited Arab EmiratesIndonesia: US$ 50kIndonesiaCanada: US$ 30kCanadaSaudi Arabia: US$ 30kUnited States of America: US$ 20kChina: US$ 20kChinaSingapore: US$ 10kQatar: US$ 10kUnited Kingdom: US$ 10kOman: US$ 10kIndia
Where Indian mushrooms goes — among our 30 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 8.9 mn8.92020-212021-22: US$ 9.5 mn9.52021-222022-23: US$ 5.5 mn5.52022-232023-24: US$ 4.3 mn4.32023-242024-25: US$ 3.3 mn3.32024-252025-26: US$ 2.7 mn2.72025-26
India’s mushrooms exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2020-21, lowest in 2025-26 — a 120% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 12.08 per kg12.082021-22: US$ 9.42 per kg2022-23: US$ 7.92 per kg2024-25: US$ 7.73 per kg2025-26: US$ 5.49 per kg5.492020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian mushrooms · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 8.9 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 9.5 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 5.5 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 4.3 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 3.3 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 2.7 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 2 mn (US$ 1.7 mn – US$ 2.4 mn)2.02026-272027-28: US$ 1.5 mn (US$ 1.2 mn – US$ 1.9 mn)1.52027-28
India’s mushrooms exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 1.5 mn

Likely range US$ 1.2 mn to US$ 1.9 mn.

Trend
-23.6% a year
Fit (R²)
0.95
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1FranceUS$ 990k-36.9%
2SwitzerlandUS$ 690k+187.5%
3BhutanUS$ 440k+10%
4GermanyUS$ 120k-76%
5Hong KongUS$ 100k-73%
6NepalUS$ 80k+60%
7United Arab EmiratesUS$ 60k+500%
8IndonesiaUS$ 50k—
9CanadaUS$ 30k—
10Saudi ArabiaUS$ 30k—
11United States of AmericaUS$ 20k+100%
12ChinaUS$ 20k—

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

No sizeable country falls in this list this year.

Low demand

  1. FranceUS$ 1.6 mn → US$ 990k-36.9%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Mushrooms of genus agarigvs,dried,whle,ct,slced,brkn0712 31 00 · Vegetables, mushrooms of the genus Agaricus, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder but not further…US$ 1.4 mn-37.5%204 tonnesUS$ 6.63 per kgwas US$ 11.87
Others (e.g.truffles etc..)dried.0712 39 00 · Vegetables, mushrooms and truffles in item 0712.3, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder but not further…US$ 1.1 mn+28.2%82 tonnesUS$ 13.25 per kgwas US$ 17.54
Vegetable preparations, mushrooms of the genus Agaricus, prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or… — mushrooms prepd/prsvd2003 10 00US$ 170k+54.5%142 tonnesUS$ 1.20 per kgwas US$ 1.11
Mushrooms fresh or chilled0709 51 00 · Vegetables, mushrooms of the genus Agaricus, fresh or chilledUS$ 90k-30.8%62 tonnesUS$ 1.44 per kgwas US$ 1.42
Vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder but not further prepared, dried — shiitake (lentinusedodes)0712 34 00US$ 10k—1.0 tonnesUS$ 10.00 per kg

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 2.5 bn
2023
India among exporters
#31
of 121 countries
India’s share of world exports
0.2%
US$ 4.5 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 3.01 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 944 mn 31.3%
  2. 2PolandUS$ 704 mn 23.3%
  3. 3NetherlandsUS$ 400 mn 13.2%
  4. 4CanadaUS$ 322 mn 10.7%
  5. 5IrelandUS$ 106 mn 3.5%
  6. 6SpainUS$ 66 mn 2.2%
  7. 7ItalyUS$ 44.9 mn 1.5%
  8. 8GermanyUS$ 40.7 mn 1.3%
  9. 9FranceUS$ 39.1 mn 1.3%
  10. 10BelgiumUS$ 33.5 mn 1.1%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 527 mn 21%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 316 mn 12.6%
  3. 3United KingdomUS$ 258 mn 10.3%
  4. 4FranceUS$ 206 mn 8.2%
  5. 5ItalyUS$ 84.5 mn 3.4%
  6. 6China, Hong Kong SARUS$ 69.1 mn 2.8%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 68.2 mn 2.7%
  8. 8ThailandUS$ 67.1 mn 2.7%
  9. 9MalaysiaUS$ 50.1 mn 2%
  10. 10JapanUS$ 47.2 mn 1.9%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 521 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 521 mn
GermanyUS$ 309 mnIndia 0.2% · gap US$ 308 mn
United KingdomUS$ 258 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 258 mn
FranceUS$ 180 mnIndia 0.8% · gap US$ 179 mn
ItalyUS$ 94.1 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 94.1 mn
MalaysiaUS$ 55.3 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 55.3 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 53.7 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 53.7 mn
JapanUS$ 46.6 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 46.6 mn
CanadaUS$ 33.4 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 33.4 mn
VietnamUS$ 30.8 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 30.8 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export mushrooms

China dominates the world mushroom trade in fresh, dried and canned form, while the Netherlands and Poland supply fresh mushrooms inside Europe. India is a small exporter, mostly of preserved button mushrooms (in brine or canned) made by large units in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, which APEDA counts under processed vegetables. Demand abroad is steady from food service, pizza and ready-meal makers. The openings are canned and IQF button mushrooms, dried oyster and other speciality mushrooms, and fresh mushrooms by air to nearby Gulf markets.

  1. 01Choose the form

    Fresh, canned, brined, IQF and dried mushrooms need very different plants and buyers. Start with what your unit already makes well.

  2. 02Meet the destination’s rules

    For US canned products, register the plant (FCE) and file the process (SID); for the EU, check residue and contaminant limits.

  3. 03Agree grade and pack

    Fix style, size, drained weight, can or bag size and labels with the buyer.

  4. 04Process and test

    Process under HACCP and test residues, heavy metals and, for canned goods, commercial sterility.

  5. 05Ship

    Stuff the right container type, file the shipping bill, and get any phytosanitary or health certificate the buyer needs.

  6. 06Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting mushrooms

Can I export fresh mushrooms from my farm?
Yes, by air to nearby markets such as the Gulf, but the shelf life is about a week and air freight is costly. You need a cold chain from farm to aircraft.
Which mushroom product sells most?
Preserved and canned button mushrooms, for food service and processors.
Why do US buyers ask for FCE and SID?
US law requires every low-acid canned food plant to be registered and each process filed with the FDA, to prevent botulism.
Is there a market for dried oyster mushrooms?
A niche one, mainly health-food and Asian grocery buyers. Keep moisture low and pack in barrier bags.
Which body helps mushroom exporters?
APEDA covers processed vegetables including mushrooms; register with it for the RCMC and its assistance schemes.
Sources (5)
  1. APEDA — Processed Vegetables profile (incl. mushrooms)
  2. Codex Alimentarius — list of standards
  3. Directorate of Marketing & Inspection — AGMARK grade standards (commodity-wise rules)
  4. US eCFR — 21 CFR Part 108, emergency permit control (acidified and low-acid canned foods)
  5. FSSAI — Notified food testing laboratories

Who buys Indian mushrooms

All countries →

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