Overview
- Official data show December cucumber prices up 43% from November and roughly 80% higher than in October.
- AMI’s Gabriele Held links the spike to a sharp cold snap after a warm late summer that weakened crops in southern Spain.
- Cucumbers grow poorly below about 10°C at night and plants in unheated facilities developed very slowly, further restricting supply.
- Retailers reduced premium offerings and cut promotions, and shoppers bought fewer cucumbers and peppers in response to higher prices.
- AMI experts expect prices to ease in the medium term as demand softens, while tomatoes, peppers and zucchini also remain costlier due to smaller harvests.