Key Points
- Research suggests green cabbage prices in the US varied from 2020 to 2025, with farm prices increasing early in the period and retail prices showing fluctuations.
- It seems likely that farm prices (per hundredweight) were around $23.20 in 2020, rising to $32.50 by 2023, based on USDA data.
- The evidence leans toward retail prices being about $0.57 per pound in March 2024 and $0.49 per pound in March 2025, though these are for specific weeks, not annual averages.
Farm Prices
Farm prices, which farmers receive, show a steady increase from 2020 to 2023. These are measured per hundredweight (cwt), where 1 cwt equals 100 pounds. For example, in 2020, the price was $23.20 per cwt, translating to about $0.232 per pound, and by 2023, it reached $32.50 per cwt, or $0.325 per pound. This trend reflects changes in production costs and market demand.
Retail Prices
Retail prices, what consumers pay, are harder to pin down annually, but for specific weeks, we have data. In March 2024, the national average retail price was $0.57 per pound, and in March 2025, it dropped to $0.49 per pound. These are spot prices, not yearly averages, so they might not capture the full picture.
Unexpected Detail: Price Type Variation
An interesting point is the difference between farm and retail prices. Farm prices are lower, as expected, due to additional costs like processing and transportation before reaching stores. This gap highlights how market stages affect final consumer costs, which might surprise some users expecting uniform pricing.
Farm Prices: 2020–2023
Farm prices, reported as the average price received by farmers for fresh market cabbage, are available from YCharts, which uses USDA data. These prices are given per hundredweight (cwt), where 1 cwt equals 100 pounds, providing a standard measure for agricultural commodities. The data for 2020 to 2023 are as follows:
The trend shows a steady increase, with a notable jump between 2021 and 2022, possibly due to production challenges, market demand, or input cost increases. For context, the 2020 price of $23.20 per cwt reflects a baseline, while the 2023 price of $32.50 per cwt indicates a significant rise, aligning with broader agricultural price trends during this period.
Retail Prices: Challenges and Available Data
Obtaining annual retail prices for cabbage proved challenging, as specific CPI series for cabbage are not publicly available from the USDA. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food includes broader categories like "processed fruits and vegetables," but does not isolate cabbage. However, the USDA's National Retail Report for fruits and vegetables provides weekly advertised prices, and for 2024 and 2025, we have data for specific weeks. These are spot prices, not annual averages, and are crucial for understanding consumer-level costs.
For the week ending March 20, 2024, and March 20, 2025, the national average retail prices for conventional round green cabbage were:
These prices show a slight decrease from 2024 to 2025, with a 14% drop compared to the same week in the previous year, as noted in the USDA report. This could reflect seasonal supply variations or market conditions, but without annual averages, it's hard to generalize.
Comparative Analysis: Farm vs. Retail
The difference between farm and retail prices is notable. Farm prices, converted to per pound, ranged from $0.232 in 2020 to $0.325 in 2023, while retail prices for March 2024 and 2025 were $0.57 and $0.49, respectively. This gap highlights the additional costs in the supply chain, including processing, transportation, and retail markups. For example, in 2023, the farm price was $0.325 per lb, but the retail price in March 2024 was $0.57, a significant markup reflecting these stages.
Contextual Factors
Several factors could influence cabbage prices over the period. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center noted that 2020 saw 58,600 acres harvested with a yield of 404 cwt per acre, and imports reached 278.5 million pounds, potentially affecting prices. Weather, production costs, and consumer demand also play roles, with the USDA ERS reporting on market trends in Vegetables and Pulses Outlook reports. For instance, the July 2024 report covered supply and demand for potatoes and pulses, but cabbage-specific price data was not detailed in accessible snippets.
Limitations and Future Considerations
The main limitation is the lack of annual retail price data for 2020–2023, relying on farm prices for those years and spot retail prices for 2024–2025. This affects comparability, as farm prices reflect producer revenue, while retail prices reflect consumer costs. Future updates, such as the next Vegetables and Pulses Yearbook Tables update on August 28, 2025, may provide more comprehensive data. Users interested in deeper analysis can explore USDA's Market News reports (USDA Market News) for daily and weekly price updates.
Conclusion
In summary, green cabbage prices in the US from 2020 to 2025 show a clear upward trend in farm prices from $23.20 per cwt in 2020 to $32.50 per cwt in 2023, with retail prices for specific weeks in 2024 and 2025 at $0.57 and $0.49 per lb, respectively.
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