White cabbage - it brought optimism, but...

In the wholesale trade of white cabbage in Poland, the past few days have brought a clear sense of optimism among sellers. However, not everywhere and not for everyone. The fact remains, though, that there are current offers for the sale of market cabbage to large wholesalers at prices around 1.70 PLN/kg. Some even at 1.75 PLN/kg. This represents a shift upwards of over 7 percent in the price range from before. Prices that were already record-breaking compared to previous years. Currently, selling prices range from 1.20-1.70 PLN/kg, depending on the region of the country.

However, not all market participants are as optimistic. There are also concerns about the future. Many wonder if the current price increase is speculative in nature. At least partially, as it is known that there is less cabbage than in normal years. However, it may be that the current supply is lower than the market potential (even with poorer harvests) because some sellers are holding onto their goods and waiting for further price increases.

But what if the expected increase in demand does not materialize in winter and spring? And instead, more imports flood into Poland? These are the concerns of some market participants on the supply side. Not entirely unfounded, although we reiterate what was previously written on the fresh-market.pl portal - neither from Western Europe (mainly Germany) nor from the south (Spain) will there be a flood of cabbage on our market this season. Nevertheless, any price increase here will encourage exporters there and hinder exports from Poland.

Lastly, it should be noted that the wave of price optimism has not only affected the white cabbage market but also the red cabbage market. And significantly more so. Selling prices for red cabbage in large wholesale markets sharply rose in the second half of the current month and significantly distanced themselves from the price level of white cabbage.