This week we have started to analyze truffles for inoculum and it’s amazing what is happening this year with the black truffles in Spain. In general is a good season, with plenty of truffles in the wild, but quality is low. Truffles come unripe for the time of year, not very black and with a faint scent. In my opinion, the lack of water in late summer, mainly September made these truffles not mature properly and that’s why we see truffles with one side ripe and the other side dried up as wood (boisé as the French guys like to say), or a well ripe black side and another side that has not reached maturity.
A second factor plays: there were early frosts at the beggining of the campaign in central regions of Spain, this is why lots of truffles come up unripe, even in January, a month and a half after those heavy frosts.
Therefore the truffle price is very low, as we have not seen for years. And not just here, because last week in Carpentras truffle market the average price was 350 € / kg
In the picture above, some of the truffles we analyzed this week. Less than 30% could be used for inoculum!
Cheers
Marcos Morcillo
trufflefarming 
Hi Marcos
Commiserations on the disappointing season for you this year. Like all agricultural pursuits, even with the best management practices, the weather can spoil our plans and harvest. We are always learning refinements to address the climatic variations.
All the best for the end of your season and into the new year in general.
Kind regards
Anne Mitchell
Timeless Hill Estate
Manjimup, Western Australia