"1.1 Million Won → 330,000 Won"... 'Gold-Value' Wild Songi Mushrooms, Price Plunge in One Month

Top-grade 330,000 won... 70%↓ Compared to Last Month
Prices of 2nd and 3rd Grades Also Fall Simultaneously
Late Heat Subsides, Resolving Supply Issues

Last month, the price of wild pine mushrooms, which sparked a 'gold price' controversy after reaching 1.1 million won, has plummeted to around 330,000 won per kilogram in just one month. This is attributed to the resolution of supply issues as the prolonged heatwave this year subsided.

According to the Forest Cooperative Federation's Forest Product Distribution Information System on the 13th, the average winning bid price for wild pine mushrooms (grade 1, per kg) on the 11th was 330,000 won, a drop of about 70% compared to the previous month (1.1 million won). Grade 2 fell by 52.7% to 260,000 won from 550,000 won the previous month, and grade 3 also dropped by 55.5% to 200,000 won from 450,000 won. Wild pine mushrooms are classified into grades 1 to 3 based on length and shape, with the unit price for each grade determined through daily auction sales every morning. Grade 1 refers to the highest quality, with a length of 8 cm or more and a cap that is not spread out at all.

The main reason for the sharp price drop is that the unusually long heatwave this year subsided, resolving the 'supply issue.' Pine mushrooms begin to be harvested around Baekro (White Dew) in September, when the daily temperature difference increases. However, this year, until the first auction on the 11th of last month, the hot and humid weather continued, resulting in poor crop conditions. In fact, the quantity of grade 1 brought in on the 11th of last month was 2.6 kg, about 68% less compared to the first auction day last year on September 7 (8.2 kg). However, with nationwide rainfall and a significant drop in temperature in early this month, the harvest volume is analyzed to have increased.

Additionally, the disappearance of demand for holiday gifts after the recent holidays also had an impact. Wild pine mushrooms are a representative gift item whose demand surges every year during Chuseok. On the 8th, the largest domestic pine mushroom festival, the ‘Yangyang Pine Mushroom Festival,’ concluded, further increasing the supply.

A distribution industry official said, "Since the price of wild pine mushrooms is determined through daily auction sales, the price fluctuates strictly according to the principles of supply and demand," adding, "This year, there were many concerns as the price on the first auction day was set higher than usual, but now that the weather has cooled down, the price has returned to its proper level."