Poor Morel Mushroom Harvest Forecasted

Poor Morel Mushroom Harvest Forecasted

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 12:56

It’s shaping up to be a forgettable morel mushroom harvest in northern Saskatchewan this year.

Agrologist Gerry Ivanochko says there just wasn’t enough forest fire activity last year to set the stage for a good crop.

Ivanockho also says conditions this spring have been less than ideal for morels.

He says the only place in the North that might produce a large quantity of the mushrooms is the site of a large fire last year north of Pinehouse.

In a good year, pickers in the North can fetch a combined $1 million from buyers. However, Ivanochko says they won’t even come close to that figure this summer.

He predicts most buyers will be looking to the Yukon or Alaska for their morels this year.

On the bright side, he says conditions in northern Saskatchewan are ripe for a good chanterelle and pine mushroom harvest later this summer.