Polish agricultural producers face acute market pressure as lower-priced cucumber imports from Russia continue entering domestic wholesale hubs.
Russian Cucumber Imports Drive Prices Down
- Russian cucumber import volumes reached over 6,800 tons valued at more than 30.1 million PLN in 2025, according to official customs data.
- Wholesale market expert Maciej Kmera reports that recent shipments forced prices down to between 7 and 10 PLN per kilogram due to market overheating.
Market Dynamics at the Bronisze Wholesale Hub
Fresh vegetable shipments from Russia arrived at the Bronisze wholesale market near Warsaw in October, according to data from biznes.interia.pl. Importers brought in federal cucumbers, creating immediate pricing pressure across the domestic trading floor.
Additional vegetable shipments from alternative regions arrived at the start of November to diversify supply chains. “This resulted in market overheating and price elasticity, with rates fluctuating from 7 to 10 PLN per kilogram,” said Maciej Kmera, wholesale market expert at the Bronisze market, in a commentary sent to biznes.interia.pl. He said that Russian produce represented the highest price point compared to cheaper imports originating from Albania and Spain.
“Importers of Russian cucumbers announce a reduction in purchase volume due to their rising prices in Russia,” Kmera told biznes.interia.pl.
“We will see how this goes—perhaps the Russians will react to the decline in demand on our side and lower prices again.”
said Kmera, speaking to biznes.interia.pl. He emphasized that trading decisions depend entirely on purchasing arithmetic. “This is always a calculation of purchase cost and selling price,” Kmera explained to biznes.interia.pl. “I assume the Russians are running some promotions. And they do not have to reckon with production costs, especially heating and lighting—because they have energy aplenty, more than enough.”
Polish Developers Shared Technical Know-How with Russian Producers
Commercial ties linking domestic greenhouse developers to Russian producers date back approximately 15 to 10 years. During that period, Polish specialists constructed complex greenhouse facilities inside Russia and transferred technical production know-how.
Trade quality among federal cucumber consignments varies considerably across transport batches. “Not every transport has identical quality,” Kmera told biznes.interia.pl. “There are deliveries of very high quality, matching the domestic cucumber, which is the best in the world.”
| Period | Import Volume (Tons) | Total Value (PLN) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Year 2025 (All Plant Products) | N/A | 209 million PLN (Total) / 146.5 million PLN (Shipped) |
| Full Year 2025 (Cucumbers and Gherkins) | 6,800+ tons | 30.1 million PLN |
| First Half 2026 (Cucumbers and Gherkins) | 1,100+ tons | 6.2 million PLN |
Russian Plant Imports Maintain Value Despite EU Tariffs
Official customs figures from GUS show that total plant product import values from Russia reached nearly 209 million PLN in 2025. For fresh or chilled cucumbers and gherkins specifically, 2025 volume exceeded 6,800 tons with a valuation above 30.1 million PLN. Preliminary figures for the first half of 2026 indicate an imported volume exceeding 1,100 tons valued at nearly 6.2 million PLN.
While European Union trade rules implemented tariffs on selected Russian agricultural goods starting July 1, 2025, trade channels remain active because specific vegetables lack a complete embargo. Former Agriculture Minister Jacek Janiszewski criticized the ongoing trade mechanism in an interview with biznes.interia.pl.
“Why does it pay off? It may be a situation like with our ‘Maluchy’—Fiat 126p cars—which were sold abroad for several dozen dollars.”
Janiszewski advocated for a comprehensive import ban to protect local agricultural producers. "Whatever we do, whatever we buy, they use it against us," Janiszewski told biznes.interia.pl, adding that domestic operators must manage euro-denominated cost structures while competitors operate in devalued rubles.
Ryszard Borys, president of the Lower Silesian Agricultural Chamber (DIR), reinforced these concerns regarding market fairness. Borys stated to biznes.interia.pl that federal cucumbers frequently retail below domestic alternatives in regional markets like Wrocław, and announced plans to submit formal petitions to government authorities demanding stricter country-of-origin labeling enforcement.
