Cucumbers – Luxury Item: Prices shock buyers

This year, one of the largest growers in Kėdainiai district began this year's cucumber started much later than usual.

« We planted later because last year and the year the year was a very cold January, we planted energy saving two weeks later, » said Agronomist Jonas Valevičius.

From here, the cucumbers travel to supermarkets all over Lithuania – as soon as they appear on the shelves, they are quickly scattered.

« Obviously, we waited, the cold bars need to be made, we also have to buy, » she said.

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As the sun increased in February, the cucumbers grew faster – twice as much as expected a day.

« Currently, it is not united, but it happens that a lot of the harvest is a half -and -a -half palette, » said Aurika Karoblienė, a cucumber.

But the price of the first cucumbers is higher this year than last year.

“Between 10-15 %, closer to 15 percent. It's hard to say the season started, we just start, « said Sergei Fedotov, director of Agrošiltnami.

Residents say cucumbers have become a luxury item. Web pages of various retail chains show that prices are different – one kilogram of cucumbers costs 10 euros, and even all 12 in others.

“There were 10 euros each. He even asked at the checkout if you were really buying because 10 euros. I buy, little I needed, ”said another interlocutor.

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However, the prices of Lithuanian cucumbers are similar in the major supermarkets.

« This year, the cost of these cucumbers is EUR 5.99 per kilogram, when last year the price of those cucumbers was more than 6 Eur, » said Maxima spokesman Titas Srimėvicius.

« Cucumbers cost € 5.99, when the weather is warming up when the artificial sun is not needed, prices will decrease, » Lina Skersytė, a spokeswoman for Lidl, said.

The Lithuanian Greenhouse Association says that when the cucumber harvest began, problems began in our country. Cucumbers are in extremely large quantities of Lithuania from Eastern countries, usually to smaller outlets.

“The movement of the short cucumbers from Belarus. The production grown in Russia is in Poland, and from Poland it travels to us, Latvia, mainly at points of sale: shopping locations, markets, ”said Paulius Andriejavas, Chairman of the Board of the Lithuanian Greenhouse Association.

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There is a risk that a person can buy it is unclear what quality and what quality, and Lithuanian growers cross it through their pocket, because less Lithuanian production is bought.

“When eating a cucumber whose country of origin is not clear, you do not necessarily eat cucumber. How many cucumber in it, and how many pesticides or other remains it contains, will not answer anyone, ”said Andrew.

And how do you distinguish that the cucumber is truly Lithuanian and has just been grown, not brought from the ignorance where?

“He would be crunchy, we are transported to supermarkets with rings. The ring shows that the cucumber is fresh, picked up just. If the ring is rotten, it means that the cucumber is lying on the shelf for a week, ”explained J. Valevičius.

Specialists say that if there is no cucumber at the outlets of what country they do not have a label, something is probably something wrong with them. The peak of cucumbers, when they are bought most, is May and June, so only then should the price of cucumbers be the most.