Ukrainians who collect wild mushrooms for sale should be aware of specific requirements regarding the place of sale, product inspections and the registration of business activities. A fine of up to 34,000 hryvnias may be imposed not for the mere fact of selling a basket of mushrooms, but for carrying out business activities without state registration.
- Wild mushrooms must be inspected.
- An expert report is required for the sale.
- Trading is permitted in authorised areas.
- Regular sales may require registration.
- The fine for working without being registered is up to 34,000 UAH.
Where can you legally sell the mushrooms you have picked?
The State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reminds the public that it is safer to buy wild mushrooms at official agricultural and food markets, where veterinary and sanitary inspection laboratories are in operation. Before being sold, a batch of mushrooms must undergo the relevant checks.
Following a successful inspection, the seller is issued with expert opinion, which confirms the safety of a specific batch. Such a document must be produced at the buyer’s request.
Wild mushrooms, in particular, are tested for radiological parameters. Only fresh mushrooms, sorted by botanical species, may be sold. It is not permitted to sell chopped, spoiled or mixed varieties of mushrooms.
When might you need to register as a sole trader?
The most important clarification concerns the fine of 17,000–34,000 hryvnias.
Article Article 164 of the Code of Ukraine The Code on Administrative Offences provides for liability for carrying out economic activities without state registration. The fine ranges from one to two thousand non-taxable minimum incomes — that is, from 17,000 to 34,000 UAH. Products, money and other items related to the business may also be confiscated.
At the same time A one-off sale of mushrooms does not in itself automatically constitute illegal business activity. The law identifies regularity and the aim of making a profit as key characteristics of entrepreneurial activity. Therefore, if a person regularly collects or purchases mushrooms, consistently sells them and derives income from this, such activity may already constitute signs of entrepreneurship and require state registration.
There are specific penalties for unauthorised trading
It is also not permitted to sell mushrooms on the street, in a courtyard, in a public garden or in any other unauthorised location. Article Article 160 of the Code of Administrative Offences provides for penalties for street trading in unauthorised locations. The court may impose not only a fine but also the confiscation of the goods.
The State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection specifically urges people not to buy wild mushrooms at informal markets, by the roadside or from street vendors. Official outlets for the sale of foodstuffs include, in particular, agri-food markets and established retail chains.
Is it allowed to pick mushrooms in the woods for free?
The Forest Code allows citizens to pick mushrooms free of charge in state and municipal forests for personal consumption without a special permit. In a privately owned forest, the owner’s consent is required. At the same time, the harvesting of wild mushrooms, as a specific use of forest resources, is governed by separate regulations and may require a special permit. Therefore, large-scale harvesting specifically for commercial sale should not be equated with a normal trip to the woods to pick mushrooms for personal consumption.
So, the headline about «a fine of up to 34,000 for selling mushrooms» Needs clarification: the maximum amount applies primarily to unregistered business activities, rather than to every individual sale of mushrooms picked.
