GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW BELL PEPPERS

Outside Europe, production is also transitioning between growing regions. In Morocco, growers are preparing for higher production as more tomato producers switch to peppers, while in North America, local field harvests are expanding. South Africa is experiencing higher prices following recent frost, although its impact on supplies remains uncertain. Across the main producing countries, growers continue to monitor weather conditions, supply, and demand as the season progresses.Germany: Retail promotions slowDue to extremely high temperatures, bell pepper supply has recently been limited, causing prices to rise sharply. According to AMI, the market now appears to be returning to normal.The price peak for red, yellow, and orange bell peppers has subsided. In calendar week 26, supply became tight as high temperatures severely limited the harvest window. In addition, unripe peppers were harvested early to relieve stress on the plants. Prices at auctions in the Benelux region rose sharply. The supply situation has since normalized somewhat, and prices are falling again. Following the sharp increase, prices for block peppers are also declining at German wholesale markets.In German food retail, promotional activity for round bell peppers is more limited in calendar week 27. Promotional intensity stands at 8 campaigns for block bell peppers. Promotional prices range from €1.99 to €2.98/kg. Prices are expected to continue declining. The vacation season is now beginning in many regions of Europe, and demand is expected to decline as a result. However, if high temperatures have damaged the crops and productivity continues to fall, this is likely to mark the start of another period of high prices.Netherlands: Heat impacts cultivationThe Netherlands and Belgium experienced a heatwave at the end of June. Temperatures of up to almost 40 degrees Celsius are uncommon. Severe thunderstorms, which caused damage to greenhouses in several locations, brought the heatwave to an end. However, another period of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius is already on the way.Bell pepper production declined over the past few weeks, resulting in a sharp increase in prices. In some cases, the production dip coincided with the heatwave, which was favourable for harvest workers as they finished picking relatively early. The upcoming warm period is expected to coincide with higher production volumes.One concern throughout most of the year has been the pricing of yellow bell peppers, which continues to lag behind previous years. Market participants, however, report good price levels for green bell peppers, while pricing for red bell peppers is described as variable.Another concern is a resurgence of aphids, likely a resistant strain. One grower, who found a small number of aphids during the winter, saw the infestation develop into a serious problem this spring. Although the crop did not have to be removed, the aphid infestation did affect production.Following several difficult years marked by root problems and the resulting production losses, a growing trend in bell pepper cultivation is the use of organic substrates. More growers have also started using rootstocks. Last year, this enabled growers to achieve higher production, and they hope to repeat those results this year. The recent heatwave showed that crops grown on rootstocks performed well under the conditions.Italy: Prices remain firmSicily is one of Italy's main bell pepper production regions. According to the sales manager of a major producer, production ended a few days ago and will resume in October. Market conditions were favourable for most of the season, with an average wholesale price of €2/kg and peaks of €3/kg during periods of lower supply. Quality remained consistently high, and the market responded well even towards the end of the season in June. Italian production is currently concentrated in Campania and Lazio, but will soon shift to northern Italy, including Veneto and Piedmont.The season is currently progressing well in Campania. One grower says: "We started with limited quantities at the end of May. We are now in full production, although high temperatures are causing some agronomic issues. Quantities are lower than last year. The basic price paid to growers is around €1/kg. We hope that large retailers do not offer discounts, as this would affect production." The season in Campania will continue until October.According to Ismea data, average producer prices for bell peppers continued to rise during the first week of July 2026. Coloured bell peppers reached an average price of €0.83/kg, up 5.3 per cent on the previous week and 4.4 per cent higher than the same period last year. Green peppers reached an average price of €0.90/kg, an increase of 12.5 per cent compared with the previous week and 5.9 per cent higher than the same week last year.Spain: Season extended into AugustPepper growers in the Region of Murcia plan to extend the season until the end of August following poor commercial results caused by increased market supply and unsatisfactory prices during the early part of the season. The green pepper harvest in Murcia began in mid-March, followed by colored varieties in early April. While the produce was of good quality, the season overlapped more than expected with the end of the Almeria campaign. Although the Almeria pepper season had been expected to finish in early April due to the impact of Thrips parvispinus, cooler weather during early spring boosted production and helped mitigate the pest's impact, allowing supplies to continue reaching supermarket chains through the end of April. Dutch peppers then entered the market with a larger harvest this year, alongside supplies from other European and non-European origins, pushing prices below production costs. Dutch red peppers were selling for around €1.10 per kilogram in Perpignan, while Murcian growers had to market their peppers at €1.00 to €1.20 per kilogram, compared with the more typical €2.00 to €2.30.Prices have since recovered slightly, averaging around €1.80 per kilogram for Lamuyo peppers and €1.40 for California peppers. "These are reasonable prices, but at this stage of the season, high temperatures result in more produce being culled and lower marketable yields, as the proportion of top-quality peppers declines," says a grower and trader from Murcia. "For this reason, although we normally finish the season in July, growers in Murcia are going to try to extend production until the end of August to bring some additional volume onto the market, even though this involves significant risks. Our pepper marketing window has traditionally been concentrated in April and May, but we may now try August, as production from the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries has fallen considerably and demand is strong. We will have to assess whether this situation is temporary or here to stay," the grower says.France: Heat and weak demand pressure marketThe French bell pepper market is currently facing a challenging period, with extreme heat affecting both yields and quality. High temperatures have caused root damage, fruit drop, and accelerated ripening, resulting in lower marketable volumes and greater variability in quality. Despite these weather-related production issues, the market has remained sluggish in recent weeks, with demand weakening as the holiday season begins.French growers are also facing competition from lower-priced imports from Belgium and the Netherlands. Compared with other produce categories, the origin of bell peppers offers little added value in the eyes of consumers, limiting French producers' ability to cover their higher production costs.Austria: Pointed pepper prices riseThe Austrian market has recently seen a slight decline in sweet pepper prices compared with the previous month, according to the latest figures from the AMA Agricultural Research Institute for May. Compared with the same period last year, however, market prices remain higher.In the pointed pepper category, prices have risen sharply, increasing by 25 per cent compared with the previous month and by 40 per cent compared with the same period last year.Morocco: Tomato growers switch to peppersMorocco's summer pepper season is underway, with growers and exporters expecting production to increase this year. The rise is being driven largely by tomato growers switching to pepper cultivation due to challenges in the tomato sector, a shift expected to increase pepper volumes compared with previous seasons.One pepper grower and exporter says the market is expected to absorb the additional supply without disruption. Export markets are considered sufficiently diversified to accommodate both higher volumes and new suppliers, while demand is expected to remain strong throughout the season.Among growers switching from tomatoes, Kapia and bell peppers are the preferred varieties. Although the production outlook remains positive, maintaining phytosanitary vigilance will be important as more growers enter the sector.Exporters also report securing seed supplies early this year after experiencing shortages during the previous season. Those early purchases appear to have resolved the issue ahead of the current campaign. Weather conditions in the Agadir region, Morocco's main pepper-producing area, have also been favourable, with temperatures around 36 degrees Celsius and no heatwave-related disruptions reported so far.According to the Association des Producteurs Exportateurs de Fruits et Légumes (APEFEL), Morocco exported between 80,000 and 90,000 tons of peppers and chilies during both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, with peppers accounting for a slightly larger share of total exports in the latter campaign.North America: Regional harvests expandLocal bell pepper programs are getting underway across North America. California's Central Valley is at peak supply for field-grown bell peppers, with product coming from Fresno. Production in the coastal region will begin soon.Bell pepper programs are also starting in the eastern U.S., including the Carolinas, while Georgia is finishing its season. Other regions, such as Tennessee and New Jersey, will also begin production shortly, and Canadian field production is underway. This is all ahead of the local bell pepper programs, which are set to begin imminently. Year-round greenhouse bell pepper production also continues.In Mexico, organic bell pepper production is underway in Jalisco, a region that has seen some acreage adjustments this season.Following last week's slower holiday period, demand for bell peppers has returned to its normal, steady level. Prices remain stable, although both demand and pricing are below the levels seen at this time last year, when supply was lower. Prices are expected to soften once local production programs get underway.South Africa: Frost concerns lift pricesAverage sweet pepper prices have risen significantly over the past two weeks, with red pepper prices increasing by almost 57 per cent and yellow pepper prices by 70 per cent. Green peppers remain the least expensive category, ranging from €0.53 to €0.70/kg. It is not yet clear whether frost damage will affect pepper supplies.Red peppers are selling at €2.40/kg on the Johannesburg wholesale market, while the price at a major retailer is €4.30/kg. Another retailer is selling individual red peppers for more than €1 each.Yellow pepper prices range from €2.27/kg to €3.13/kg on the wholesale market and are likely to be even higher at smaller markets due to the current scarcity.In supermarkets, a bag of robot peppers is priced between €2.40 and €2.50."Green pepper prices had been very low since the start of June," says a pepper grower in Limpopo. "The price might lift next week. The cold weather and frost last weekend will reduce available volumes, with a corresponding rise in prices, hopefully."Next Topic: StrawberriesPublication date: Fri 10 Jul 2026© FreshPlaza.com / Stefan Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen