Wild matsutake in Yunnan is wellknown for its special aroma and taste. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Reasons for growing demand

According to the Yunnan Fungus Association, mushroom consumption has been growing about 10 percent annually over the past few years. In 2015, around 80,000 tons of mushrooms worth 6.8 billion yuan were produced by the province.

Tang Xijin, chief of the matsutake association, said the growing demand of the mushroom was due to three key factors: an 8-minute feature on the matsutake in the popular food documentary A Bite of China in 2012, the expansive and fast-developing logistics network in the country and the perceived health benefits, including possible cancer prevention, that mushrooms have.

To cater to the growing mushroom market, SF Express, China's largest private express logistic firm, announced in July that it would launch a dedicated freight airline to ensure that consumers in 76 major cities in the country could receive fresh matsutake within 48 hours of harvest.

The soaring demand from coastal and other large cities in China has also led to a deluge of individual mushroom dealers entering the lucrative scene.

"People who used to sell facial masks and liquid collagen online are all entering the fray and they have greatly disrupted the way we deal with local farmers. Some of these new traders would meet with farmers and strike deals with them before we veteran players can. Others charge their customers unreasonably high prices," lamented Yan.