WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a recent release that it approved an 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.
The Mushroom Council sees the increased investment as a way to build demand and connect the category with a new generation of shoppers. Amy Wood, President of the Mushroom Council, pointed to the industry’s commitment behind that effort.
"The board voted unanimously to invest at the maximum allowable rate. Growers see the opportunity to grow this category, and they're backing it with a clear focus: reach the next generation of consumers, make mushrooms more relevant to how they eat and shop, and build demand that lasts," said Wood.
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. 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.
The Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Order, section 1209.51(b), limits the assessment rate to $0.01 per pound and allows the council to change the rate of assessments for a fiscal year at any time with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the Mushroom Council in accordance with the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and the order. Under the order, domestic producers and importers pay an assessment to carry out an effective and continuous program of promotion, research, and consumer and industry information designed to help expand, maintain, and develop markets and uses for fresh mushrooms. The program is administered by council members who are selected by the Secretary of Agriculture.
More information about the council is available on the AMS Mushroom Council webpage or at www.mushroomcouncil.com, or contact USDA Marketing Specialist Kelly Robertson at (202) 720-8085 or [email protected].
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
