The US matsutake is not considered to be desirable. On the contrary our No. There was not even one day in September when the market conditions were favorable for our business. That is not to say the demand for the US products will not increase later on. We are hoping North Korea and China to finish their season in the near future.
Circumstantial evidence suggests maybe so.
Many mushroom harvesters smoke. Statistics tracked by the Winema National Forest show that over the past 10 years the number of fires caused by smoking has increased from an average of one per year prior to 1990 to over 6 per year 1991 through 1996, which coincides with the increase in mushroom harvesting on the forest. Most of the smoking-caused fires have occurred in the fall in areas frequented by mushroom pickers. But, to be fair, mushroom pickers are not the only people in the woods during September and October. There are also hunters, woodcutters, sight-seers and others.