Even after a nod down, cucumber prices at Flemish auctions remain high. An average 55 euro cents each in week 22 is more than double the prices paid in recent years. As an explanation, industry association Boerenbond gives 'the approaching summer'.
The high cucumber price contrasts sharply with the sharply disappointing pricing last year.
The same suspected summer jitters are also stimulating demand for cabbage lettuce, notes Boerenbond, where prices are also higher than in recent years. Last week, the price shot back to the price level of mid-May: around 67 euro cents each.
For strawberries and tomatoes, prices are at normal levels for the time of year. Tomato prices hover around 50 euro cents per kilo. For both loose and truss, this puts prices in line with the five-year average of the Federation of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives.
The strawberry price is back to an above-average price level of 3.96 euros per kilo after a short dip.
The pepper price stands out with lower prices, even below the five-year average for week 22. The average price last week was 1.24 euros per kilo if we lump all colours together. Yellow in particular is low in price, with an average price for week 22 of 93 euro cents.
Want to see the VBT price graphs in full size? You can do so on agriculture figures page of the Flemish Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries. The market observations from Boerenbond can be read here, also for outdoor and fruit crops.