More lettuce, less spinach: Vegetable farmers harvested less this year than last year

Despite an expansion of the cultivated area, the vegetable harvest was 3 percent lower than in 2022 due to the weather. Overall, the harvest volume of 651,500 tons was 3 percent above the five-year average, as Statistics Austria announced on Monday. There were significant increases in the lettuce harvest, while the spinach harvest continued to decline. Lettuce production rose to 53,400 tonnes due to more acreage, 10 percent above the previous year and 13 percent above the five-year average. The spinach harvest, already very low in 2022, fell further (down 9 percent to 7,800 tons) and was 36 percent below the five-year average. Overall, cabbage, leafy and stem vegetables recorded a slightly below-average production volume of 137,200 tonnes, which remained 3 percent below the previous year’s value. According to Statistics Austria, the reason for the loss of yield was drought and storms. However, the mild autumn weather extended the harvest season and led to better availability of local vegetables.

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Pulses: Minus 2 percent in harvest quantity

The harvest volume of legumes, root and onion vegetables this year amounted to 350,000 tons (minus 4 percent compared to 2022) and was therefore well above the five-year average (plus 6 percent). Of this, 159,500 tonnes were onions, which accounted for almost a quarter of total vegetable production. Carrots increased slightly in area and achieved a harvest of 121,000 tons (plus 2 percent compared to 2022), while the yield of green peas fell to 8,700 tons (minus 10 percent compared to 2022).

The harvest volume of fruit vegetables this year amounted to 164,300 tons and was therefore slightly below the previous year’s level with a largely constant cultivated area of ​​2 percent, but roughly in line with the five-year average. According to Statistics Austria, the cool and low-light spring resulted in a bad start to the season, which could not be fully made up for over the course of the summer. Tomato production remained stable at 57,000 tons compared to the previous year, although more acreage was available. The cucumber harvest fell by 2 percent to 43,400 tons. Melons, on the other hand, continued to increase in terms of area and, at 2,300 tonnes, recorded a production increase of 2 percent compared to the previous year.