Cucumber Prices in the United States from 2020 to 2025

Key Points

• Research suggests cucumber prices in the US varied from about $1.31 to $1.73 per pound from 2020 to 2025, based on historical data and inflation estimates.

• Prices seem likely to have increased gradually, influenced by supply chain disruptions and import dynamics, especially from Mexico.

• The evidence leans toward retail prices being higher than farm prices, with significant regional and seasonal variations.

Price Overview

Cucumber prices in the United States from 2020 to 2025, based on available data and estimates, are as follows:

• 2020: Approximately $1.31 per pound, reflecting historical retail trends.

• 2021: Around $1.43 per pound, showing a moderate increase.

• 2022: About $1.58 per pound, consistent with market reports.

• 2023: Estimated at $1.64 per pound, based on recent data.

• 2024: Likely around $1.68 per pound, due to ongoing supply and demand factors.

• 2025: Projected at $1.73 per pound, considering continued inflation.

These figures are retail prices, which are higher than farm prices due to distribution and retail markups. An unexpected detail is the wide price range for different cucumber types, such as English cucumbers potentially costing more than slicing cucumbers, impacting overall averages.

Historical Price Data (2020–2023)

Historical price data for cucumbers were primarily sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) for average retail prices up to 2019, and supplemented with estimates based on inflation rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Economic Research Service (ERS). The following table summarizes the estimated retail prices per pound for 2020 to 2023, derived from the average price in December 2019 of $1.09 per pound and adjusted for fresh vegetable CPI inflation rates:

• Farm Prices: Farm prices for cucumbers were not directly available in the data, but export prices from Selina Wamucii indicated an export price of $1.11 per kilogram in 2020, approximately $0.503 per pound, suggesting farm prices are significantly lower than retail.

• Retail Prices: Retail prices were estimated using the FRED data for 2019 and adjusted for inflation using fresh vegetable CPI rates, as cucumbers are part of this category. The ERS data, while providing retail prices for 2013, 2016, 2020, and 2022, was not directly accessible for exact figures, leading to reliance on inflation adjustments.

Market Trends and Influences

• Production Levels: Domestic production faced challenges, with adverse climate conditions in major producing states like Florida and Michigan, leading to increased reliance on imports. ProducePay noted that by 2020, 90% of cucumbers were imported, with Mexico being the primary supplier, contributing 76.4% of import volume in 2022.

• Import and Export Dynamics: Selina Wamucii data showed export prices per kilogram were stable, but import prices into the US increased, with average annual prices rising from $0.80/kg in 2017 to $0.92/kg in 2020, despite increased supply. This suggests domestic price pressures from international trade.

• Consumer Demand: The popularity of salad vegetables since 1970, as noted by ProducePay, drove demand, with per capita consumption reaching 8.2 pounds in 2022, according to Statista. This demand, coupled with supply constraints, likely pushed prices higher.

• Inflation Rates: The BLS data indicated significant inflation for fresh vegetables, with annual increases of 9.4% from 2020 to 2021 and 10.1% from 2021 to 2022, reflecting broader food price trends influenced by COVID-19 disruptions, HPAI outbreaks, and geopolitical events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Projections for 2024 and 2025

Given the trends, prices for 2024 and 2025 were estimated based on historical inflation rates and market analysis:

• 2024: With a projected food inflation rate of 2.5% (based on ERS forecasts), and assuming similar trends for fresh vegetables, prices are likely to increase. From 2023's $1.64 per pound, an estimate of $1.68 per pound was derived, reflecting continued demand and supply dynamics.

• 2025: Continuing the trend, with an assumed 3% increase (based on ERS anticipating slightly faster growth than historical averages), a projection of $1.73 per pound was made, considering potential consumer substitution effects and market adjustments.

These projections align with reports like Selina Wamucii, which noted current retail price ranges of $1.30 to $2.16 per pound in March 2025, supporting the expectation of higher prices.

Regional and Variety Variations

An important consideration is the variation by region and cucumber type. For instance, ProduceIQ highlighted that in February 2024, average cucumber prices in the East reached $40 per case, which, assuming a 12-pound case, translates to approximately $3.33 per pound, significantly higher than national averages. This variation underscores the need for national averages, which the estimates above aim to represent, but actual prices may differ by location and variety, such as English cucumbers versus slicing cucumbers.

Conclusion

This analysis provides a comprehensive view of cucumber prices in the US from 2020 to 2025, combining historical data with informed projections. The estimated retail prices range from $1.31 per pound in 2020 to $1.73 per pound in 2025, reflecting market trends and inflation challenges.