In the first three quarters of 2016, plant product sales, such as vegetables, fruits and potatoes, rose in the Swiss retail trade. On the other hand, sales of animal products such as meat, cheese and milk, fell.
Fruits, vegetables and potato sales grew by 5%, 3% and 4% respectively, compared to the same period last year. The strongest sales increases among the fruits were with the berries and exotic fruits. Both the sales volume and the average price have risen in comparison to 2015.
When it comes to vegetables, the tomatoes and peppers reached higher prices and contributed significantly to the positive vegetable sales development. Through the sales of tomatoes and peppers, among other vegetables, the sales decline in courgette and lamb's lettuce has been balanced out.
Greater tomato and cucumber harvest
In the first three quarters of the current year, 12% more cucumbers and 3% more tomatoes were harvested in Switzerland than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Just at the end of the third quarter, the warm temperatures led to a late production increase in September. This also happened with many other vegetables such as courgettes and aubergines.
It should be noted than in 2016 mostly trussels of tomatoes were harvested, while the harvest of cocktail tomatoes was smaller. This is one reason why the producer price of round tomatoes has risen by 6% and the retail price has fallen slightly.
In the case of cucumbers, the producer price was on average 5% lower than in the previous year. The retail price, on the other hand, was on average 5% higher than in the previous year. Imports of cucumbers and tomatoes have declined this year compared to those in 2015. With cucumbers, this is particularly due to the high import volumes in the first months of the previous year. However compared to the years 2012-14, in the period from January to September 2016 an above-average number of cucumbers were imported.
