EUROPEAN PRODUCTION
There were more truffles harvested in Europe in the past then now as for example a harvest of 2,200 tons was reported back in 1890 when man lived off the land but only 300 tons in 1914 when the first world war devastated communities.
Nowadays harvests found are more like 15-150 tons as forests have disappeared and developed for urban housing.
It takes about seven years for a sapling tree to be inoculated then establish a growth of truffles despite their predictable life cycles so cultivation is a big investment.
The host tree will then bear fruit from between fifteen to thirty years so new trees have to grow to replenish the market while presently we wait to see how the inoculated trees in North America develop.
----------