Miloco Holdings, which operates Codd mushrooms and a property business, had a bumper year in 2020, according to their annual accounts.

Operating profit for the year ending 31 December 2020 more than doubled to €2.791m, compared with €1.118m in the previous year.

Mushroom sales were in line with the previous year at €18.6m, compared with €18.4m in 2019, but there was a significant property sale yielding €5.683m with property sales in 2019 amounting to €1.317m.

Employee numbers were 251 in 2020, two more than 2019, while staff costs increased to €5.864m from €5.547m the previous year.

According to Bord Bia, the shutdown of food service in 2020 and the switch to home dining became an opportunity for mushroom sales in Ireland and the UK.

Overall, the farm gate value of the sector was €119m for 65,000t of production.

Exports to the UK accounted for 80% of this, with the remainder sold in the home market. Bord Bia described 2020 as a record year for mushroom retail sales in the UK and Ireland.