Are broccoli prices as high as cauliflower prices?

In the 2024 season, wholesale prices for domestic broccoli in Poland remain relatively high. Higher than in many previous years. Of course, the profitability of production with current, much higher costs is a separate issue. It should also be remembered that the quite variable price realities in the fresh market can differ significantly from what we observe in the much more stable broccoli procurement market.

n the fresh market, broccoli prices in large wholesale quantities quickly dropped between the end of June and the first half of July. Then there was stabilization, and in recent days, there has been an upward rebound. However, as clearly seen in our chart, sales prices for broccoli remained relatively good even during the described period of decline in the first half of July.

Now, the sales prices for broccoli in large wholesale quantities ("on hand") are mostly 3.50-4.00 PLN per piece, which is approximately 0.81-0.93 EUR per piece. This is not only about 30 percent above the average from the previous five years but also the highest price compared to at least the last fifteen years, making it historically high prices (still considering inflation and rising costs).

From analyzing our chart, it can be seen that from the end of June, the price curve of broccoli in large wholesale quantities is quite similar to that from the previous year. If this similarity continues, we would have a second consecutive season in which broccoli remains relatively expensive throughout the campaign. The key, of course, is the weather, but the likelihood of such an "expensive" scenario is considerable.

As for the relationship between broccoli and cauliflower prices mentioned in the title, broccoli still lags behind a bit. The supply crisis in both cases is a result of the same factors - mainly unfavorable weather conditions. However, broccoli is somewhat more resilient to this factor. Additionally, the demand in the fresh market is always higher for cauliflower. Therefore, cauliflower still has higher prices, currently at the level of 4.50-5.50 PLN per piece "on hand," which is approximately 1.05-1.28 EUR per piece.