Soaring vegetable prices

There has been a spike in vegetable prices recorded in the Netherlands in recent weeks. Timothy Dieduksman of www.supermarktscanner.nl reports that cauliflower, courgette and iceberg lettuce all rose dramatically in price, while broccoli, bell pepper, green beans and chicory are also more expensive. Dieduksman said,

“Earlier this year, there was a declining price trend for many vegetables. That trend was broken after week 11 when extra strict national measures were introduced in the fight against the Coronavirus.”

This impacted prices, of certain vegetables, with spikes of about 55% recorded for some between weeks 11 and 14, particularly for produce coming from Spain. The collapse of the catering industry has further destabilised the market, meaning that end consumers constitute 100% of purchases. This is likely to remain the case for some time. Therefore, people’s perceptions of which fruit and vegetables can offer health benefits and have longer shelf life might well determine demand for the foreseeable future.