The 2025 cucumber season produced higher yields than last year, but the season was marked by great heterogeneity depending on the period and the grower. "The first part of the season was very positive, with a buoyant market and good volumes until June," explains Alexandre Picault, director of Kultive. Unfortunately, this good start gave way to a production slump that lasted longer than usual. "There is usually a drop in volumes between June 15th and July 14th. But this year, with the very hot weather we experienced, production was severely impacted, and the slump lasted until the 15th of August."
© Coopérative Agricole des Serristes de l'Aube et de l'Yonne
A year of contrasts in production, consumption, sales...
Although production picked up in the 2nd half of August, the bad weather in September led to a drop in consumption. For the growers who managed to supply cucumbers during the summer, when demand far exceeded supply, the market was buoyant. Conversely, those who grubbed up their crops and opted for a third crop ran into difficulties. "The weather deteriorated, at a time when we had a massive influx of cucumbers on the market, so consumption dropped, which weighed on the value of the crop, resulting in very hard-fought prices at the end of the season. In September, we saw a 50-60% increase in volumes compared with last year (which should be seen in the context of a 25% increase in production area with the takeover of the Marchal greenhouses). We sold everything, without needing to export, give it away, or destroy it, but the value of the product was affected." In October, the trend was reversed once again: the bad weather in September curbed production, bringing it more in line with consumption. "Unfortunately, prices did not rise sufficiently to reach a good level at the end of the season."
A positive assessment overall, with a general increase in consumption
In the end, the results of the season were fairly positive, especially when compared with those of last year, but the picture remains mixed. The results vary widely from one producer to another. "We had a really promising start to the season and a long, disappointing end that really fell short of expectations. But the figures are still positive for the year as a whole. According to Kantar data, cucumber purchases rose by 25% at the start of the season, to stand at +11% at the end of September compared to 2024, and +17% compared to the 2022-2024 average. As far as Kultive is concerned, we sold almost 35% more volume this year*, again with 25% more surface area."
The results for the other products in the greenhouse range were also fairly good
The eggplant campaign was relatively stable. "Volumes were more or less the same as last year, although both yields and prices were slightly lower. This is nevertheless consistent with the general market analysis and Kantar data," explains Alexandre Picault. However, this measured trend is not preventing Kultive from pursuing its ambition to increase production by 50% from next year, with the development of violet, graffiti, and white varieties.
Peppers, for their part, have had a "fairly good" year, with yields a little lower than in previous years, but decent prices, which is a sign that the product continues to find its place. "We plan to increase our volumes by 10%, with the return of yellow peppers in particular, and to continue our development in species other than cucumbers.
The same positive dynamic applies to cherry tomatoes, which currently represent the cooperative's smallest production. "We had a good year, with 800 tons, which was better than in 2024. Average prices are just slightly above expected levels. This is an encouraging sign, especially as we feared a complicated season at the start of the campaign. In the end, the year turned out better than expected."
