More stable supply prospects for Moroccan cucumbers in the Netherlands and Belgium

This winter has seen a notable increase in the use of supplemental lighting in Dutch and Belgian greenhouses, spurred by a recent drop in energy prices. While prices were on the rise during the latter part of 2023, exceeding the average of the last five years, a downward trend has been observed since the start of 2024. During the previous winter, peaks in cucumber prices were recorded between weeks 5 and 10, followed by a sharp drop before recovering as summer approached. The economically difficult weeks have been attributed to strong supply from southern Europe. The average price of auctions within the Federation of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives reached 42.7 euro cents per piece during week 9, specifies Freshplaza in its Global Overview, a benchmark widely followed, even in the Netherlands, due to of the growing trend towards contract farming. A Belgian trader underlines from the same source that in recent weeks, the supply from Spain and Morocco has been remarkable, ...