"According to forecasts on November 1st, 2024, French cucumber production is estimated at 169,300 tons for the 2024 campaign. It will be down by 3,900 tons from last year (-2%) due to dull and rainy weather conditions for much of the season. In October 2024, prices were 4% higher than in October 2023 and 14% higher than the 2019-2023 average for the same month," according to the Agreste economic outlook.
Production down from previous years
"The national cucumber area for the 2024 season is expected to be down by 2% from last year, especially in the Center-West basin. At 1,028 hectares, they will remain slightly higher than the average area cultivated during the 2019-2023 period (+1%). National cucumber production in 2024 is estimated at 169,300 tons, which is 2% less than last year and 4% below the five-year average. This year's decrease will be particularly marked in the Eastern basin (-8%) and to a lesser extent, in the South-Eastern basin (-4%). Cucumber production dropped sharply from September onwards, in line with the usual shortening of daylight hours, but also with a rainy end to the season, which had an impact on the size of the cucumbers.
Lower demand from September onwards
"In September, the demand was initially in line with the less abundant supply, but it subsequently dropped. Prices nevertheless remained well above those of 2023 (+22%) and the five-year average (+26%). In October, the weather did not stimulate either supply or demand, and prices dropped significantly, but remained above the five-year average (+14%).
Between January and September 2024, and compared to the same period in the previous season, cucumber exports (8,900 tons) were estimated to have increased by 7%, imports were stable (48,600 tons), with a slight decrease (-1%) in the foreign trade deficit in volume terms."
Source: agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr
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