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5 clusters · 8 sources · 42 days · First seen · Last updated

European vegetable shortages and structural supply shifts

Overview

Extreme summer heat, droughts, and unpredictable weather patterns have caused significant vegetable shortages and price increases across Europe. While initially noted in Germany and Switzerland, the crisis has expanded into a structural issue affecting the ‘fourth and fifth gamma’ sector (ready-to-eat salads and vegetables). Simone Zerbinati of Unione Italiana Food stated the situation can no longer be viewed as a mere seasonal fluctuation but is a ‘structural crisis,’ noting that raw material availability for certain products has dropped by 30% to 40%.

In Spain, high temperatures and pest issues, specifically Thrips parvispinus, continue to impact production. In Almería, José Antonio Baños of the Ejidomar cooperative reported that yellow pepper auction prices have exceeded €3 per kilo due to scarcity. This has driven a shift in Spanish acreage from peppers toward cucumbers, zucchini, or eggplants. Supply volumes from the Almería region are not expected to stabilize until November.

Shortages in tomatoes, leafy greens, and peppers have also driven up demand in Northern and Central Europe, specifically in the Netherlands and Belgium. To mitigate disruptions caused by weather and geopolitical tensions in Algeciras, the greenhouse sector is prioritizing supply chain security over price optimization. Buyers are increasingly moving away from single-origin sourcing, splitting procurement programs across multiple origins, with Egypt emerging as a significant third winter origin for certain products.

Entities

Ejidomar · Unione Italiana Food · Lettuce hearts · Switzerland · Sipo

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Climate change disrupts European ready-to-eat produce supply

    Climate change is causing structural shortages in the ready-to-eat produce sector, with raw material availability dropping by up to 40% across Italy and Europe due to drought and extreme heat.

  2. 9 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    Greenhouse vegetable sector shifts focus to supply security

    Vegetable importers are prioritizing supply chain diversification over price to combat shortages in tomatoes and peppers caused by extreme weather and production shifts in Spain.

  3. 9 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Spanish vegetable supply faces shortage amid rising European demand

    High temperatures and pests have caused a vegetable shortage in Europe, driving up demand for Spanish produce while simultaneously limiting Spanish supply and increasing prices.

  4. 19 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    Southern Europe faces vegetable shortages and rising prices

    Extreme heat in Southern Europe has caused severe vegetable shortages and soaring prices for items like leafy greens, tomatoes, and celery due to low yields and high production costs.

  5. about 1 month ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Heat-driven lettuce and cucumber shortages tighten European market

    Summer heat curtails lettuce heart harvests in Germany and cucumber yields in Switzerland, tightening supply, raising prices and reducing promotions across European markets.

Sources

freshplaza.com · freshplaza.es · freshplaza.fr · freshpointmagazine.it · groentennieuws.nl · horecanews.it · hortidaily.com · positivr.fr

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history