Pan’an Shiitake Mushrooms

Pan’an Shiitake Mushrooms

Pan’an Shiitake Mushrooms are a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Pan’an is a mountainous county where nine-tenths of the land is covered by hills, with only half a tenth each for water and arable land. It is known as the “Hometown of Shiitake Mushrooms in China” and an advanced county in the national edible fungi industry.

　　 　　In recent years, the production of edible and medicinal fungi in Pan’an has developed rapidly. Current varieties include shiitake mushrooms, flower mushrooms, black fungus, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, monkey head mushrooms, straw mushrooms, mushroom, beech mushrooms, chicken leg mushrooms, bamboo fungus, lingzhi, gastrodia elata, and poria cocos—14 types in total. Especially for shiitake mushrooms, since their successful trial cultivation across the county in 1987, large-scale production has expanded exponentially. The county’s shiitake production has consistently remained above 50 million bags, yielding over 50,000 tons with a production value exceeding 180 million yuan, providing an average income increase of over 500 yuan per farmer. In 1995, it was honored as the “Hometown of Shiitake Mushrooms in China” by the first National Hundred Specialties Promotion Campaign Organizing Committee. Shiitake production has now become a pillar of the rural economy, a highlight of the county’s agriculture, and a key pathway for farmers to escape poverty and achieve prosperity.

　　 　　Pan’an shiitake mushrooms are uniform in size, rich in aroma, and delicious in taste, earning the reputation of being the “finest of all mushrooms.” They enjoy high renown in markets such as Japan and Shanghai. Japanese traders often say, “China’s best shiitakes come from Zhejiang, and Zhejiang’s best come from Pan’an.” The Panfeng brand shiitake mushrooms produced in our county have been recognized as quality products by the Ministry of Commerce, named “Zhejiang Provincial Agricultural Famous Brand Products” by the provincial government, and awarded the Provincial Gold Quality Agricultural Product Prize. Pan’an is well-known both domestically and internationally for its exports of fresh shiitake mushrooms, shipping over 6,000 tons annually—accounting for one-third of the nation’s fresh mushroom exports and ranking first in the country. Major export destinations include Japan, the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other regions in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. The Pan’an Cold Water Fresh Mushroom Trading Market is the largest of its kind in China, with annual trading volume reaching 18,300 tons and transaction value totaling 108 million yuan. Nowadays, the fresh mushrooms picked by Pan’an mushroom farmers in the morning can be refrigerated and then flown out on the same afternoon via flights from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, arriving on supermarket shelves in Japan.

　　 　　Shiitake production in Pan’an is market-oriented, science-based, and focused on comprehensive services, continuously advancing the industrialization process. By optimizing the shiitake structure, developing mid-to-high-end varieties such as flower mushrooms and high-temperature mushrooms, reforming cultivation methods, and promoting three-dimensional cultivation, the level of intensification has been improved, enabling year-round production in spring, summer, autumn, and winter with balanced supply. The shiitake production industry in Pan’an has largely formed an integrated production, supply, and sales system. This system is led by over 20 processing and sales enterprises such as the Edible Fungi Corporation, connected through six specialized markets including the Cold Water Shiitake Market, along with mushroom professional associations and field advisors, and supported by tens of thousands of mushroom farmers across the county. This creates a cohesive chain where the market drives the leading enterprises, the enterprises support the bases, and the bases link to the farmers. As a result, the county’s shiitake production has maintained strong momentum in both supply and demand for several years. Meanwhile, it has also attracted a continuous flow of shiitake mushrooms from regions such as Lishui in Zhejiang and Fujian to Pan’an, making the county a major distribution hub for fresh shiitake mushrooms nationwide. Today, Pan’an County is not only a major producer of shiitake mushrooms in China but also a key hub for their circulation and export, with the fragrance of mushrooms present all year round.