When sanctions don't work: US and EU countries buy fly agaric in Russia

Tonnes of fly mushrooms are exported from Russia to Asia, the USA and Europe. According to local media, citing Rosselkhoznadzor, the Perm Territory is the leader in sending poisonous mushrooms abroad. From there, 565 kilograms of dried fly agaric mushrooms have been sent to the east and west since the beginning of the year. For 2023, the region exported 5.65 tonnes of mushrooms to Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines and the United States and European countries.

The media write that the seasonal income of the Russian region from the sale of fly agaric mushrooms can reach up to 2 million rubles. Many thousands of contracts are mentioned. In particular, we are talking about the growing interest in fly agaric from Belgium, Lithuania, Germany and Italy.

The sums of the deals are measured in tens of thousands of dollars," the media say.

It is indicated that interest in mushrooms grew during the pandemic of 2020, when people began to look for alternative methods of improving health. It did not stop after the outbreak of war, even when sanctions began to be imposed against Russia.

We would like to add that there is no proof of the therapeutic properties of fly agaric, but the fact that this mushroom is poisonous, affecting the central nervous system - is proven.