European farmers confront sharp price drops and spikes

German farm product prices fell sharply in May 2026, with the federal statistical office reporting a 13.9% year‑on‑year decline – the biggest drop since 2015. Milk prices fell 25.3%, pork 19.5% and potatoes 53.5%, while some vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers rose sharply.

At the same time, wheat contracts on the Euronext MATIF jumped 14% to €229.5 per tonne, the highest level since February of the previous year. Analysts attribute the surge to the paralysis of Russian grain shipments through the Azov Sea after Ukrainian attacks and to a recent rise in European corn prices.

Polish cherry growers face a projected 26% reduction in harvests after spring frosts, tightening EU frozen‑cherry supplies. Larger yields in Serbia and Turkey may moderate price pressure, but imports from those countries have fallen sharply in recent months.

Polish grain quality has been praised as among the EU’s best, driven by precision farming, digital tools and new genomic techniques that improve yields while reducing fertilizer and pesticide use.

Polish farmers have also staged protests over low farmgate prices, rising production costs and an inadequate insurance system, while a new SMS service launched to deliver real‑time grain price updates to producers during harvest.