Pepper problems

The season of Polish peppers is still in its early stages, with a long way to go until peak supply. Currently, only greenhouse production is available, and prices are significantly higher compared to field-grown peppers. However, overall domestic supply of peppers is increasing, although not without difficulties this season, mainly due to weather conditions.

Recent weeks in Europe have brought high temperatures, accompanied by storms and hailstorms. This has negatively affected current pepper production across the continent, including in Poland. This phenomenon is expected to worsen as weather forecasts predict more heatwaves.

Have these issues already impacted wholesale pepper prices? To some extent, yes. Firstly, it is still profitable to import peppers to our market because domestic supply is insufficient. This is despite the fact that prices of imported peppers remain stable and high, with red peppers priced at 9.00-11.00 PLN/kg (2.12-2.59 EUR/kg).

As for domestic offerings, we are seeing a decline in prices of white and green peppers. Both types currently have wholesale prices ranging from 3.00-5.00 PLN/kg (0.71-1.18 EUR/kg), depending on the region and quality. This represents a one-fifth decrease compared to the beginning of the current month and nearly 6 percent less than the same period last year.

However, red pepper prices have slightly increased instead of continuing to decrease. Currently, wholesale prices range from 6.00-8.00 PLN/kg (1.41-1.88 EUR/kg), marking a 17 percent increase compared to the beginning of the month and a 27 percent increase year over year.