In Argentina, when wheat is harvested, summer is awaited. When grapes are harvested, autumn is awaited. When champignon is harvested in Pilar, the next day is awaited.
Unlike almost any other crop in the country, the production of mushrooms operates continuously. While some chambers are in full harvest, others are going through the incubation stage, and others are preparing to receive a new cultivation cycle. The result is a constant flow of production: more than 38,000 kilos weekly harvested in the morning, packed in the afternoon, and on the shelves the next day.
With a production that exceeds 2 million kilos annually, Hongos del Pilar supplies between 45% and 50% of the national market of champignons and portobellos. A model that combines technology, planning, and specialized manual work to maintain high levels of productivity and quality.
When the activity started in the 1980s, the expected yield was around 7 kilos per square meter. Today it reaches between 25 and 30. Four times more production in the same physical space, thanks to the incorporation of shelving systems and automated controls of temperature, humidity, and ventilation that allow recreating with precision the conditions each species needs to develop.
The process begins with the preparation of the substrate from the composting of organic material. Once pasteurized, the mushroom is inoculated and transferred to the cultivation chambers. The harvest, at the end of the cycle, is done manually: one by one, the mushrooms that reach their optimal size are collected by the production team.
“One of the peculiarities of mushroom cultivation is that we work with living organisms that react to every change in temperature, humidity, or ventilation. Therefore, a large part of our work consists of constantly monitoring the cultivation conditions so that each chamber has the environment it needs at each stage of the process,” explains Laura Márquez, head of cultivation at Hongos del Pilar.
The growth in productivity did not occur spontaneously. Behind this evolution was a sustained process of investment and technological modernization. Since 2019, the plant has invested more than USD 7 million in technification and expansion. The goal is to increase from the current 2 million kilos annually to 3 million by 2030.
In a context where much of the agricultural production depends on seasonal cycles, mushroom cultivation shows another possible logic: producing fresh food continuously, with high levels of efficiency and a process that combines technology, knowledge, and specialized manual work.
