Will the prices of parsley go down further?

Parsley in the Polish wholesale market has once again become cheaper. However, it was not a significant price reduction, at least when it comes to prices in large quantities for washed and bagged produce. Currently, parsley is mostly offered at prices ranging from 3.50 to 5.00 PLN/kg. This is an average of 10.5 percent cheaper than last week's prices.

It is worth noting that we previously saw some strengthening of parsley prices in the wholesale market, and now, after the correction, they are back to the levels of the last decade of September and still remain higher than those of the same period in previous years. Year-on-year, we have seen a 25% increase in prices.

However, it should be noted that harvesting is ongoing, and there is a significant advantage of offers for selling dirty parsley, straight from the field. Here, prices have dropped more noticeably, reaching levels of 1.50 to 3.00 PLN/kg, depending on the region. Traditionally, parsley has a wide price range, with thick parsley from the field being sold from 0.60 PLN/kg.

Will we see a continuation of the parsley price decline, or rather a quick return to an upward trend? The sharp drop in prices for dirty parsley suggests that the prices of washed parsley should continue to follow a downward trend. This is also indicated by the behavior of parsley prices in previous years (a clear price dip in autumn during harvest).

In the medium-term perspective, a downward scenario is the most likely. However, this price reduction should not be too deep this season, and the average price should remain significantly above the levels from previous campaigns. Remember that the harvest estimates for parsley are pessimistic. In September, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) estimated the harvest at 126,000 tons, a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year, and significantly lower than the July forecast of 150,000 tons.

source: own elaboration based on GUS data