Field cucumber prices in North America are showing slight strengthening as demand is expected to pick up after a weaker market for nearly three months. Mexico continues shipping at high volumes, while Florida's season is beginning, and Honduras is wrapping up earlier than usual. A sunny start to March in the Netherlands has accelerated cucumber cultivation after a dark winter. Prices remain below the five-year average, though higher than last year, with more growers using LED lighting to boost production.
In Italy, Sicily remains the dominant domestic supplier until late spring, with stable yields and high quality. Prices range from €1.00 to €1.20/kg, with peaks exceeding €1.70/kg. The Andalusian cucumber season in Spain is ahead of schedule, with strong prices driven by limited availability. Almería accounts for 70% of the country's total cucumber exports, with key markets in Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Cucumber supply in France will rise in April as the peak season begins. Foreign cucumbers, mainly from Spain, are still present, while domestic production is increasing in the Central-Western region. The German cucumber season is underway despite fluctuating light conditions. Availability is limited, leading to price increases, while competition from Spain, the Netherlands, and Greece remains strong.
Cucumber prices in South Africa are under pressure, struggling to exceed €12.8 per 15-unit box. Despite stable consumer demand for other vegetables, the cucumber market remains stagnant. In Morocco, prices have dropped sharply as European demand declines with the start of local harvests. Contract prices for smaller Dutch varieties remain stable, but open market prices have fallen.
North America: Field cucumber pricing strengthening slightly
Until recently, the supply of field cucumbers has outpaced demand. The Honduran season is nearing its end, wrapping up slightly earlier than usual, possibly due to the weaker cucumber market. Meanwhile, Mexico continues to ship at slightly higher-than-normal volumes, while Florida's season is beginning, with full production expected in about 10 days.
Demand for field cucumbers has remained soft, potentially influenced by past industry recalls. This has resulted in a weaker market for nearly three months, though demand is expected to pick up soon, leading to a potential strengthening in pricing over the coming weeks. Prices on Mexican cucumbers have already increased this week.
In the greenhouse cucumber segment, the market has seen significant growth and evolution, driven by rising consumer demand and advancements in agricultural practices and technology that have improved yield and quality. Organic and locally sourced cucumbers continue to gain popularity.
Netherlands: Sunny start to March accelerates cucumber cultivation
The first week of March in the Netherlands and Belgium has been sunny, providing a boost to cucumber cultivation after a dark and misty period around the turn of the year and in January. The increased sunshine has accelerated crop growth.
Since the beginning of the year, cucumber prices at VBT auctions, a key price reference in the Benelux, have mostly remained below the five-year average. However, they have been higher than last year, when less illuminated cultivation took place during winter. This season, more growers have used (LED) lighting, with some starting before Christmas and most beginning production with lighting in early January.
In the organic cucumber market, Dutch growers have planted fewer cucumbers despite strong demand from Germany and, to a lesser extent, the Netherlands. Meanwhile, consumer demand for conventional cucumbers in the Netherlands has remained stable.
Italy: Sicily dominates cucumber market until late spring
Currently, Sicily is the sole domestic supplier of cucumbers in the Italian market. Other key production areas, including Campania, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto, will not begin harvesting until late April or early May. In Campania, planting started between late January and early February and is still ongoing.
Sicily's greenhouse production of thorny cucumbers primarily runs from January to May, with smaller volumes available between July and September. However, low summer prices discourage large-scale planting due to high production costs and climate management challenges. Currently, yields are stable, and quality remains high. Producer prices range between €1.00 and €1.20/kg, with peaks exceeding €1.70/kg. Looking ahead, there is a growing trend toward expanding Dutch cucumber production, which is sweeter and increasingly favored by consumers.
Cucumbers are available year-round, particularly during the summer when prices are lower. A wholesaler in northern Italy reports that in early March, traditional short cucumbers sell for around €2/kg, while long cucumbers reach approximately €2.60/kg—both sourced from Sicily. The wholesaler, who only deals with Italian produce, considers €1.30/kg the ideal wholesale price, which aligns with the entry of northern Italy's production into the market.
In some northern Italian retail chains, Italian cucumbers are priced below €3/kg, while Dutch long cucumbers, often sold loose, can reach up to €4/kg. Organic short cucumbers from Sicily, second class, are also priced near €4/kg.
Spain: Cucumber season nears end with strong prices
The Andalusian horticultural season, particularly for cucumbers, is approaching the final stretch of the autumn campaign, running 10 to 15 days ahead of last season's production schedule and achieving higher prices than the previous campaign. This advance means that by the end of February, only 10-15% of the total cucumber production remains to be harvested. Almería alone accounts for 70% of Spain's total cucumber exports, with Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands representing over 70% of both the volume and value of Almería's cucumber sales.
The season started with an oversupply, leading to challenges in pricing. However, after Christmas, prices surged due to lower yields. Between September and December, exports rose by 21% in volume and 11% in value compared to the previous season. The average price has continued to increase following various peaks since December, resulting in prices at the end of February significantly exceeding last season's average. Currently, cucumber availability remains limited, keeping prices high. Spanish cucumbers are difficult to find on the free market, as most are secured through fixed programs.
France: Cucumber supply set to increase in April
French cucumber volumes will continue to rise in April, aligning with the start of the peak season. Currently, foreign cucumbers are present in the market, with small quantities coming from the Netherlands and Belgium, while Spain remains the leading foreign supplier.
In France, production is increasing in the Central-Western region, supported by sunny weather. The main sizes available are 300/400g and 400/500g. To stimulate sales, promotional campaigns are being implemented in stores. In the Nantais basin, another key production area, the rise in available volumes has led to a price adjustment, though the market remains fluid. Meanwhile, in the Roussillon region, market conditions are gradually stabilizing, with prices becoming more consistent.
Germany: Cucumber season underway amid fluctuating light conditions
The first mini cucumbers of the season were harvested in week 7, followed by regular cucumbers from traditional (non-LED) cultivation in week 9. While light conditions in the early phase of the season were generally favorable, extreme fluctuations have become more common. "Optimal cucumber growth requires 400-500 joules/day, but we are increasingly seeing peaks of up to 900 joules/day," notes a grower from the Nuremberg gardeners' settlement. The first cucumbers from the northern growing region of Papenburg are also now in circulation.
German growers face direct competition from the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Greece for regular cucumbers. Overall availability has been limited, with fewer Spanish cucumbers on the market due to recent retail promotions. As a result, prices have increased in many markets. Competition in the mini cucumber segment is less intense, as it remains a premium product. Despite the challenges, last year's cucumber marketing season was generally considered successful.
South Africa: Cucumber prices under pressure
Cucumber growers report difficulty in surpassing the R250 (€12.8) mark per 15-unit box. "Cucumber prices are much lower than last year," says a market analyst. "They're under a lot of pressure."
"From January to December last year, we only briefly reached R250 (€12.8) per box," notes a farmer who cultivates cucumbers in a heated greenhouse throughout winter to take advantage of the typically higher prices from June to early September. During the winter of 2023, he periodically achieved R300 (€15.3) per box.
He describes the current cucumber season as unusual and is unsure why the market remains stagnant. He does not believe the overall economic situation or consumer spending constraints are to blame, pointing to strong prices for bell peppers as evidence.
Currently, cucumbers average R6.30 (€0.3) per kilogram or R220 (€11.25) to R230 (€11.7) per 15-unit box at municipal markets. Prices in Gauteng are so low that transporting cucumbers from the Western Cape is not financially viable, leading growers in the Cape to keep their produce local. As a result, Cape Town now has the highest cucumber supply. Prices in KwaZulu-Natal are slightly stronger than in Gauteng, while Johannesburg, despite being the top-selling cucumber market, does not currently offer the best prices.
Morocco: Prices drop as European demand declines
With cucumber harvests beginning across Europe, demand for Moroccan cucumbers has fallen sharply, leading to a drop in prices. According to one exporter, this year's acreage volumes are typical, but European demand is lower than last season. Prices for open exports have recently declined, and local market prices have also dropped significantly. However, contract export prices for smaller Dutch varieties, which are preferred in Europe, remain fixed.
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