Prices for greenhouse vegetables rose in early 2017, compared to late 2016, as revealed by the Bulletin of the Centre for Economic Research in Agriculture (CAPA).
Tomato prices have recorded one of the most notable increases of the past 2-3 years, while the wholesale and retail prices of cucumbers are among the highest ever.
Bulgaria is a relatively large producer of cucumbers in the EU, growing about 40% more cucumbers per capita than the EU average (6.4 kg/person, against 4.6 kg/person in the EU). This market structure entails that the domestic supply has a greater influence on prices than imports.
On the other side of the scale, the EU is ahead of Bulgaria in growing tomatoes, as the EU's average per capita yield amounts to about 32 kg, while Bulgaria produced around 17 kg per capita in 2015. In this case, imports are much more decisive in determining prices.
In 2017, prospects point to a slight increase in the retail prices of cucumbers and peppers, while those of tomatoes should remain stable.
