Heatwave and varietal innovation impact European pepper supply and prices
Southern European suppliers are facing challenging weather and disease pressure, while Italian breeders introduce new disease-resistant pepper varieties for the 2026/27 campaign.
Southern Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, remains a key source of peppers for the European market during the summer period. Recent weeks have seen one of the most intense heatwaves in years, with temperatures surpassing 35°C and locally reaching 40°C across many regions. This has affected field crops, including peppers, by increasing plant stress and disease vulnerability. In Sicily, Italy, growers and breeders are responding with the introduction of new Lamuyo-type pepper varieties bred for resistance to Oidium (Leveillula taurica) and key viruses, aiming to stabilize future yields and reduce crop losses. The new Timonero RZ F1 variety, tested on a large scale, is recommended for late autumn plantings and is reported to set fruit even under stress conditions, producing regular, intensely red peppers.
No concrete wholesale prices for Spanish or Italian peppers are reported for this period, but the overall trend in Europe is for elevated pepper prices at the start of July, reflecting both limited early summer supply and weather-related risks. For example, in Poland, early domestic red peppers are trading at €2.8/kg (12 PLN/kg), while green peppers command about €1.4–1.6/kg (6–7 PLN/kg). These prices are supported by limited initial availability and could be influenced by the pace and volume of imports from southern Europe in the coming weeks.
The reduction in planted area is not limited to Poland; in Spain and Italy, growers are also adapting to higher costs, labor shortages, and regulatory restrictions, which may impact export volumes. The weather situation is especially critical this season; continued heat and drought could further limit yields and exportable surpluses from Spain, Italy, and other Mediterranean suppliers in July and August.
European demand for peppers remains strong in summer, with buyers in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, closely watching availability and price levels from southern exporters. The introduction of disease-resistant varieties in Italy is expected to strengthen supply stability for future campaigns, but the immediate market is shaped by weather volatility and supply constraints.
Sicilian breeders are expanding trials with new pepper varieties that combine resistance to Oidium, nematodes, and Phytophthora, aiming to further improve resilience and reduce phytosanitary intervention needs in the region's key export crops.
Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker