The province of Ontario has the largest concentration of greenhouse grown cucumbers in all of North America. "We grow 1,177 acres, equaling 71 percent of Canada's total greenhouse cucumber production of 1,700 acres," says Richard Lee with Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. In addition to Canada, the U.S. has about 150 acres of greenhouse space dedicated to cucumber cultivation. Only about 15 percent of Ontario's production stays in the domestic market and 85 percent makes its way over to the U.S. "We heavily rely on each other as the U.S. is a crucial market for us, but they also rely on us to meet their consumers' demand for cucumbers. Our location is ideal as we access 58 percent of the U.S. population within one day's drive."
Yields impacted by extended heat
Ontario cucumber production peaks in May, June, and July, but acreage comes down by almost 50 percent from early November until the beginning of the year. "Some growers will use supplemental lighting to keep going year-round while others will plant three instead of four crops." This past summer however, yields were lower than usual. "Due to an extended period of very warm weather, the plants got stressed and didn't get a chance to rest." This increased the disease pressure and yields decreased by about 10 percent as a result. Some growers even tried to cool the irrigation water in an attempt to offer the plants some relief. Around that same time, there were some challenges with propagation and as a result, some growers had to pull their plants after six to eight weeks and start all over.
Soft pricing
Despite reduced yields, pricing started off very low in summer. "It may have been a result of trade pressure, but growers didn't see favorable returns until late summer. At that time, pricing was okay for about four weeks before it went down again and softer prices have been witnessed this fall," Lee said. Low prices in combination with cost increases aren't sustainable, but what is causing pricing to be soft? It's no secret that consumers do have alternative options to fill their grocery carts or is it a result of these unprecedented times? "While greenhouse vegetables are exempt from tariffs, there are a lot of tariff threats against our country. It's important to enhance the relationship with the U.S. and aim for a favorable trade deal outcome as both countries rely on each other."
© Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Increased demand for snacking cucumbers
Demand for cucumbers has been consistent. "The category shows positive growth over last year, predicated on consumer demand." The largest category, Long English cucumbers, has grown by 13 percent year over year and mini cucumbers have a similar growth rate of 14 percent. The cocktail cucumber category on the other hand shows a 25 percent increase, driven by a surge in demand for snacking items. "This is in line with consumers' healthier eating habits and their preference for convenient products, offering opportunities for continued growth," commented Lee.
For more information:
Richard Lee
Executive Director
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
[email protected]
www.ogvg.com
