The price level for cucumbers on the German market is currently higher than it has been in 10 years. The reason being the lower harvest quantities in Germany and the Benelux countries. “Due to the big heat waves this summer, the cucumbers have not grown as much as usual,” Kai Fuchs, acting CEO of Gartenbauzentrale Main-Donau eG (GMD), explains. “Because of this, producers can harvest less than usual. In addition, cucumber consumption goes up with good weather.”
Heat record
The growers association grows fresh vegetables on a total of 21.5 hectares in greenhouses. Among these are cucumbers, various kinds of lettuce and carrots. Kai Fuchs describes the situation: “At our site in Kitzingen we had a heat record at 40.3 degrees! Cucumbers prefer it a bit cooler, with short heat waves this is not an issue. When the high temperatures last several days, the cucumbers do not grow normally anymore”.
The cucumbers of the growers association are grown exclusively in greenhouses, says Fuchs. “ Because of the heat, the plants do not carry as many fruits as usual. Because of this, the plants can recuperate better.”
Good sales despite high prices
According to Fuchs, the price increase does not have a negative impact on the sales. The acting CEO describes: “We are registering good sales and have no problems accommodating our cucumbers on the market. The situation is currently outstanding for producers. We can still satisfy the customer’s orders without any problems, also in the case that they might consume more products.”
