Cucumber sales and availability fall in key supplier countries as prices rise
Cucumber sales and availability declined across several Eastern European and Mediterranean supplier countries in early July 2026, resulting in rising wholesale prices.
On regional trading platforms covering 13 countries, including Ukraine, Türkiye, Iran, and Greece, cucumber sales offers fell sharply in week 28 of 2026. Sellers from Iran and Egypt posted fewer offers, while product availability from Türkiye increased slightly. The number of advertisements from Ukraine and Uzbekistan also declined, contributing to overall lower availability in the region.
The reduction in supply led to higher prices for cucumbers in wholesale markets. For example, in Poland, which sources cucumbers from several of these countries, prices for smooth greenhouse cucumbers reached around €1.4/kg (6.00 PLN/kg), while field-grown cucumbers reached €2.1–2.3/kg (8.00–9.00 PLN/kg), reflecting a significant increase compared to previous weeks. Earlier in the season, prices for tunnel cucumbers in Poland had dropped to as low as €0.3/kg (1.50 PLN/kg) due to a heatwave-induced glut, but limited current supply has reversed the trend.
In the Netherlands, snack cucumber sales continued to rise, with 2024 supermarket data showing an increase of more than 25% year-on-year. The Dutch sector has also seen the first local harvests of new mini cucumber varieties such as Popits, which are marketed as premium snack vegetables. This innovation is expected to support further demand growth within the snacking segment.
In Spain, breeding companies reported stable supply throughout the growing calendar thanks to diversification in cucumber varieties, including Dutch, French, and Spanish types. Spanish breeders are focusing on disease resistance and resilience to maintain stable output, but no concrete price data were given for July 2026.
Trade competition among supplier countries remains dynamic, with Türkiye increasing its cucumber offers on regional markets amid lower participation from Iran and Egypt. This shift may affect the sourcing strategies of Central and Eastern European importers, including Poland, as they respond to price and availability changes in traditional supplier countries.
In Ukraine, watermelon supply surged in early July, becoming the leading fruit traded, while cucumber sales dropped, suggesting a shift in seasonal preferences and market focus among both producers and buyers.
Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker