Dried mushrooms market in Sub-Saharan Africa

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2020, dried mushroom production in Sub-Saharan Africa rose from 1 635 t to 2 147 t, driven by ongoing industrialization and concentration in the agri-food sector, which expanded processing capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted supply chains but also heightened the focus on food security, further supporting domestic output and market growth.

The introduction of organic product standards and guidelines in several countries from 2021 helped formalize the sector, while strengthened regional trade policies facilitated intra-African market access. These developments supported continued production increases and consumption growth, with market volume reaching 2 860 t by 2022.

A sharp rise in imports to 3 302 t in 2023 propelled the total market volume to 5 982 t, while production maintained steady growth, reaching 2 866 t. In 2024, imports normalized to 867 t, but the market remained significantly larger than pre-2023 levels.

Production dried mushrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of dried mushrooms, 2017-2020

World map of production of dried mushrooms, 2017-2020

Dried mushroom production in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the region produced 2,147 tonnes of dried mushrooms, marking an 18.9% rise compared to the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, production grew by 41%, which translates to an annualized growth rate of 12.1%.

Annual dynamics of production in Sub-Saharan Africa in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports dried mushrooms from Sub-Saharan Africa

Exports in kind, t

The market showed significant volatility during this period. The lowest export volume was recorded in 2019 at 54.7 tonnes, while the highest occurred in 2017, resulting in a peak-to-trough ratio of 6.3 times. In 2020, dried mushroom exports from Sub-Saharan Africa reached 172.6 tonnes, representing a dramatic increase of 215.5% compared to the previous year. The largest decline was observed in 2019, with a drop of 77.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Sub-Saharan Africa in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Vietnam, Mexico, and the United States were the key partners for dried mushroom exports from Sub-Saharan Africa. Vietnam accounted for 39.1% of exports in kind, Mexico for 15.9%, and the United States for 5.4%. Together, these three countries represented 60.4% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Sub-Saharan Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The market exhibited an unstable trend throughout the timeframe. The maximum export value was recorded in 2018 at 2,098 thousand US dollars, while the minimum was in 2020 at 189 thousand US dollars, showing a variation of 11.1 times between these years. In 2020, Sub-Saharan Africa exported 189 thousand US dollars worth of dried mushrooms, down by 48.8% from the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2019 with an 82.4% drop, while the largest increase was in 2018 with an 82.1% rise.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Sub-Saharan Africa in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, China, Mexico, and the United States were the largest buyers of dried mushrooms from Sub-Saharan Africa in value terms. China accounted for 46.6% of exports in value, Mexico for 7.0%, and the United States for 4.6%. Collectively, these three countries formed 58.2% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Sub-Saharan Africa in value, 2017-2020

Imports dried mushrooms to Sub-Saharan Africa

Imports in kind, t

Dried mushroom imports into Sub-Saharan Africa declined for the third consecutive year. In 2020, imports amounted to 349.1 tonnes, down by 27.0% compared to 2019. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, imports decreased by 47.5%, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -19.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Sub-Saharan Africa in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, imports in kind were distributed across a wide range of partner countries. China was the largest source, accounting for 38.5% of imports in kind, followed by Italy at 5.3% and Portugal at 2.6%. Together, these three countries represented 46.3% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Sub-Saharan Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of dried mushroom imports into Sub-Saharan Africa declined for the third consecutive year. In 2020, imports totaled 189 thousand US dollars, down by 8.0% compared to the previous year. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, imports decreased by 27.3%, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -10.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Sub-Saharan Africa in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, China remained the dominant market for imports in value terms, holding a share of 72.8% of total flows. The remaining volume was fragmented across numerous other destinations.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Sub-Saharan Africa in value, 2017-2020