In a clear signal of confidence despite widespread economic pressure, fresh mushroom growers and importers have voted unanimously to raise their self-imposed assessment to the federal ceiling to fund market growth.
USDA has approved the assessment increase under the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Program. On June 1, 2026, the Mushroom Council voted unanimously to recommend the assessment increase in a two-step phase.
Effective Jan. 1, 2027, the assessment rate will increase from $0.0075 cents per pound to $0.00875 cents per pound of mushrooms marketed or imported for the fresh market in the U.S. Effective July 1, 2027, the assessment rate will increase from $0.00875 cents per pound to $0.01 cents per pound of mushrooms marketed or imported for the fresh market in the U.S.
USDA says the increase will affect producers and importers who produce or import an average of more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms annually for fresh use.
This financial commitment lays the groundwork for a broader strategic effort to capture new market share, says Amy Wood, president of the Mushroom Council.
“The Mushroom Council board convened a marketing task force last year and together established a long-term strategy to reach the next generation of consumers,” says Wood. “What became clear through that process is that the opportunity is there, but reaching these consumers will require both bold marketing moves and significant investment. The unanimous vote reflects a shared belief industrywide that now is the time to invest in that opportunity.”
The funding increase will create significant opportunities for the Mushroom Council to grow demand and invest in marketing that moves the needle on mushroom sales and engagement.
“This year the Mushroom Council launched our ‘It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.’ campaign to cultivate the next generation of mushroom consumers,” says Wood. “The increased assessment funding will allow us to expand that work, particularly through influencers and increased social and digital advertising reach and frequency.
“We’ll also continue investing in consumer research and measurement so we can better understand what moves younger consumers from liking mushrooms to buying them more often and make sure we’re putting our marketing dollars behind the strategies that have the greatest potential to grow demand,” Wood continues.
That research highlights a clear demographic shift driving the council’s strategy.
“Today, about 30% of mushroom shoppers account for 70% of annual purchases, and those shoppers skew older,” says Wood. “The opportunity for category growth lies squarely with millennial and Gen Z consumers who already like — and often love — mushrooms. We don’t need to convince them to eat mushrooms. We need to give them more reasons and reminders to buy them more often.”
With this in mind, the Mushroom Council’s campaign shows younger consumers how easy it is to add mushrooms to meals they already love.
“Think pasta, pizza, burgers and ramen,” says Wood. “These shoppers are looking for simplicity, convenience and flavor, so we need to make mushrooms relevant to the way they’re already cooking and eating.”
At retail, Wood says that means working with the council’s partners to make those meal connections much more obvious at the point of purchase and testing new ways to merchandise and promote mushrooms around specific occasions.
“Digitally, it means more shoppable content, retail media, influencers and highly targeted advertising that can shorten the distance between seeing a great meal idea and putting mushrooms in the cart,” she says.
