Over the past week, prices of bell peppers and tomatoes went down in Belgium. On the other hand, cucumber prices are up, according to figures from the Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives (VBT).
"The market is struggling to process the large productions of the current early season," noted Benny Cuypers of BelOrta earlier this week about the bell pepper market. The abundant sunny weather is also posing a challenge for the cucumber and tomato markets, with high volumes early on. At the same time, the slight decrease in cucumber production has led to a slim price increase. On the other hand, high volumes of tomatoes are posing a strain on prices.
At the end of week 17, the average price for yellow, green, and red bell peppers is below €1 per kilogram across the board. Yellow peppers especially have very low prices - less than €0.50 per kilogram. Prices for all colors are significantly below the five-year average.
Tomato prices are also below the five-year average in week 17, with loose tomatoes priced at €0.75 per kilogram and vine tomatoes at €0.76 per kilogram.
The average price for cucumbers is €0.315 per piece at the auctions of the Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives.
The increase in the average price for lettuce did not continue in week 17. The price has fallen back to €0.369 per piece, which is below the five-year average.
Check the entire agricultural price charts on the page of the agricultural figures page of the Flemish Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries. All average prices for vegetables for week 17 can be seen here (in Dutch).