Dutch, Spanish, and Italian cucumber supply shapes European trade; prices slightly lower year-on-year
Dutch greenhouse cucumber prices in 2025 were on average slightly below 2024 levels, with production increasingly consolidated and supported by supplementary lighting. Spain remains the EU's leading cucumber producer, while Italy and Germany show strong output growth.
In the Netherlands, greenhouse cucumber acreage has stabilized at 620–640 hectares over the past five years, but production is increasingly consolidated. In 2025, the ten largest Dutch growers accounted for 31% of total acreage, up from 23% in 2015. Around 25% of Dutch greenhouse acreage now uses supplementary lighting, mainly LED, resulting in a 40–50% yield increase per square meter compared to traditional methods. This extended supply season has reduced the traditional summer price peak. Dutch cucumber prices fluctuated in 2025 but were, on average, slightly lower than in 2024. Since April 2025, prices have been at or below the multi-year average. Nearly half of Dutch cucumbers are exported to Germany, with other major markets including the UK (14%), Belgium (11%), Sweden (2%), France (1%), and other countries (7%), including Poland as a key regional recipient. The Netherlands also imports cucumbers from southern Europe, mainly Spain, during winter and re-exports them across Europe. Spain is the largest European cucumber producer, accounting for 31.2% of the EU harvest (2.43 million tons in 2024), followed by the Netherlands, Poland, and France. From 2015–2017 to 2022–2024, the Spanish harvest rose by 14.2%, while Dutch output grew by 5.7%. In contrast, Poland's harvest fell by 3.1%, and Romania's by 36.9%. Italy (+33.8%), Germany (+26.1%), and France (+25.5%) registered the strongest growth, although from smaller bases. Greenhouse cultivation dominates cucumber production in the EU, rising from 85.5% of output in 2015–2017 to 89.1% in 2022–2024. In Spain, greenhouse share increased to 98.0%, in Germany to 93.5%, and in Greece to 93.8%. The Netherlands and Belgium remain almost exclusively greenhouse-based. Sweden is expanding its year-round domestic supply: Agtira AB, the country’s largest cucumber grower, is investing in new lighting at its Påarp facility, aiming to boost production capacity and extend the growing season. The €3.2 million (SEK 35 million) investment is expected to finish by December 2026, supported by €1.2 million (SEK 14 million) in EU funding over five years. Cucumber demand in Europe has risen modestly in recent years, partly due to the increased availability of year-round supply from greenhouse production and extended seasons. The increase in greenhouse share and supplementary lighting across key producing countries is expected to further stabilize supply and impact pricing dynamics in importing countries such as Poland.
Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker · Illustrative image generated by AI