The appearance of pickled gherkins imported from India in Polish supermarkets has triggered debate across the fresh produce sector. Consumer reports and social-media posts questioning why cucumbers are being sourced from such a distant origin prompted the industry to reassess the decline of domestic gherkin production.
According to the Wielkopolska Chamber of Agriculture (WIR), the key constraint is the rising cost of labour combined with the fact that gherkins cannot be harvested mechanically. Polish farms have the necessary varieties, irrigation systems, and sorting technology, but gherkins require daily hand-picking, making production financially unsustainable.
Zbigniew Stajkowski, Vice-President of WIR and a grower at Chrobry Group, notes that climate and varieties are not the issue. Labour is: "No one in Poland will pay a price that covers the cost of daily, hand-picked gherkin harvesting." Chrobry Group once produced gherkins for export to Germany, but mounting wage pressures forced the business to halt production.
This cost gap explains why processors and retailers turn to India, where labour-intensive harvesting remains economically viable. Indian gherkins are also a distinct variety not grown widely in Poland due to climatic and harvest-related constraints.
Long-distance logistics add another layer. For sea transport, gherkins are packed in barrels filled with water containing sulfates to prevent spoilage, after which the liquid is removed and the produce washed at processing facilities, a standard procedure for extended shipping routes.
WIR stresses that competition from neighbouring countries such as Romania and Serbia poses an even greater challenge than Indian imports. Lower labour costs allow producers in these markets to supply gherkins during the Polish season at prices domestic growers cannot match, limiting Polish farmers' ability to secure higher farm-gate prices.
Andrzej Przepióra, Deputy Director at WIR, says the gherkin case illustrates a broader trend: Polish agriculture is losing the cost advantage that long underpinned its competitiveness, and the sector must adapt to rising production expenses.
Limpol, the importer, adds that Indian gherkins are not a low-cost replacement but a different variety with long-standing demand among European buyers.
Source: www.sadyogrody.pl
