Cucumber prices are higher year on year, but not at record levels.

The second half of October this year brought an improvement in wholesale prices of domestic greenhouse cucumbers. However, this change did not have such a significant impact that would fundamentally affect the assessment of the current situation in the market for these vegetables. It is important to note that the average price in large wholesale finally moved upwards after a period of stability.

Currently, the prices of domestic greenhouse cucumbers in large wholesale mostly range between 6.00-7.00 PLN/kg. This means that the average price remains consistently above the levels from corresponding periods of the previous season. However, from the beginning of this month, the current average is no longer higher than the prices from all five previous campaigns. Two years ago, we had higher prices. Around October 18, 2022, the average price of Polish cucumbers was 7.50 PLN/kg, which is 1 PLN more expensive than now.

Furthermore, current prices can quickly drop, even below the threshold of 6.00 PLN/kg on average. There is a visible increase in pressure from imported cucumbers in the market. The season of importing greenhouse cucumbers from Spain started some time ago - at the beginning of this month. Since then, the supply of these vegetables has been increasing, leading to price decreases. Currently, prices are mostly in the range of 4.00-5.00 PLN/kg.

An analysis of domestic cucumber prices in previous seasons shows that there is almost always a temporary decline in October. This is the result of increasing competition from imports during a period when the supply of domestic production is still relatively high. It is only in November when the current harvest of domestic cucumbers decreases enough for their prices to rise, even with cheaper imports.