A recent report shows that last year, in most EU countries (EU-27), 63 million tons of all vegetables were harvested. This was less than in the previous year (2021), when the harvest was 65.7 million tons. This was due to the unfavorable weather - a small amount of rainfall and heat in spring and summer. According to agroberichtenbuitenland, a significant decline in vegetable production occurred in such important European producers as Italy and Spain. In the same period, the production of vegetables in Poland slightly increased - from 5.6 million tons to 5.7 million tons.
Vegetables in Poland
In 2021, the total area of vegetable cultivation in Poland amounted to 169 500 ha, in 2022 it was only 163 000ha. The production of all vegetables was at the level of 5,3 mln tons in 2021, and despite the smaller area in 2022 it amounted to 5,4 mln tons. These figures are dominated by field vegetables, which last year were cultivated on an area of 157 800 ha, and their harvest amounted to 3.85 million tons.
Vegetables under cover
Last year, vegetables under cover were cultivated on an area of 5220 ha, the harvest is estimated at 1.53 million tons. Tomatoes grown in 2022 on an area of 1 750 ha had the largest share in these numbers, their production is estimated at 700 000 tons, which is 7% more than in the previous year. In the case of cucumbers, 330 000 tons were collected from an area of 970 ha last year which is 8% more than in 2021.
Retail prices up, consumption down
In 2022 (January to October) retail prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 14.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. The increase in retail prices of fresh and chilled vegetables in this period amounted to 9.8%. One of the vegetables that increased the most in retail trade were tomatoes (price increase by 18.8%), the prices of cucumbers increased slightly less (12.1%).
The increase in retail prices contributed to a decline in the consumption of vegetables, mushrooms and their preserves. Based on data for the first quarter of 2022 - the consumption of vegetables, mushrooms and their preserves was 7.2% lower at that time compared to the first quarter of 2021 and amounted to 12.36 kg per person.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl