Whether in salads, roulades or as part of a classic snack: pickled cucumbers have a long tradition in German food culture. But manufacturers are facing challenges.
Germany’s farmers are growing fewer pickled cucumbers. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the area under cultivation last year was around seven percent smaller than in 2018. “The pickled cucumber business is facing many challenges,” said Katja Behringer, spokeswoman for the Swabian company Hengstenberg. According to her, energy costs and the increased minimum wage have been the main burden on companies in recent years.
Nationwide, both the area under cultivation and the number of farms have shrunk, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said in response to a query. According to the report, pickled cucumbers were grown outdoors on around 1,880 hectares in 2023. Although the area was larger than in 2022, it remained below the 2,020 hectares in 2018. A look at the number of farms shows that in 2018, according to the ministry, there were 315 farms that grew pickled cucumbers outdoors; in 2023, the number fell to 250 farms.
Belly-facing on the cucumber plane
The Hengstenberg spokeswoman explained that a jar of cucumbers grown in Germany requires a lot of manual work. The harvest workers pick the cucumbers by hand while they lie face down on the wings of the vehicles, the so-called cucumber flyers.
Extreme weather conditions, drought and heat also challenge the cucumber, said the spokeswoman. “It likes it to be constantly moist and warm. But not too hot.” At temperatures above 30 degrees, the cucumber plant stops growing. “In addition, cucumbers grow at night, and only at temperatures above 15 degrees,” the spokeswoman explained. On warm nights, the cucumbers can therefore grow up to three centimeters in length. The cultivation areas often have to be irrigated at great expense to create the right conditions.
Costs rise in double-digit range
“These points make cultivation expensive and unattractive,” Behringer summed up. Overall, the cost increase is in the double-digit range. The competition for seasonal workers does not make the overall situation any easier.
In the Spreewald region, which is known for its cucumber products, there are sometimes strained cost situations in agriculture, but also in processing plants, said the managing director of the Spreewald Association, Melanie Kossatz. One reason for this is also the increase in the statutory minimum wage. The area under cultivation in the Spreewald economic area has stagnated for several years and is around 500 hectares.
Prices have risen
According to the Agricultural Market Information Company, consumer prices for canned cucumbers have risen in recent years. In 2013, canned cucumbers in a 720-milliliter jar cost an average of 1.30 euros. In 2019, it was 1.56 euros, and by 2023 the average price had risen to 2.11 euros. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, prices for canned cucumbers have risen slightly more in the past four years than average food prices overall.
Source: Stern
