Overview
- Official data show December retail cucumber prices up 43% from November and roughly 80% higher than in October.
- A late warm autumn followed by a sharp cold snap in Spain weakened crops, and cucumbers grow poorly below about 10°C in unheated systems.
- Supplies from southern Spain and the Netherlands remain tight, with BLE noting Spanish cucumbers dominate shipments supplemented by Dutch, Belgian and Moroccan produce.
- Retailers have scaled back promotions as availability thinned, and stores report a lower share of standard, lower-priced options.
- AMI reports consumers are buying fewer cucumbers and peppers, and experts expect prices to ease in the medium term as demand softens; tomatoes, peppers and courgettes have also become costlier due to smaller harvests.