Business Environment Profiles - United States
Published: 23 April 2025
Price of vegetables
179 Index
7.1 %
The price of vegetables is represented by the indices of prices received by fresh, frozen and canned vegetable producers for their products, with 2011 as the base year. Data is sourced from the US Department of Agriculture.
We measure the upstream and downstream ramifications on thousands of industries so businesses can monitor their external operating environment. Explore membership options today.
Our industry reports include 35+ pages of data, analysis and charts, including:
In 2012, the price of vegetables fell 8.1%. According to the USDA, the number of acres allocated toward harvesting vegetables increased, partly due to harvesters benefiting from a mild winter and early spring temperatures. Thanks to favorable weather conditions, which bolstered harvest yields, the market was inundated with a large volume of high-quality fresh vegetables. Due to fresh vegetables accounting for the highest crop value for vegetable harvesters, if the price of fresh vegetables declines, then overall crop values may also contract.
In 2013, vegetable yields declined due to weather conditions. The warm weather that caused prices to decline in 2012 expedited the growth of some vegetables ahead of normal schedules. While this resulted in an increased supply of vegetables in late 2012, it limited the quantity available going into 2013. As a result, prices increased 12.9% in 2013. Alternatively, a severe drought in California pushed vegetable prices up sharply in June 2014. Nevertheless, after a steep hike in 2013, the price of vegetables declined consistently after June 2014. Consequently, vegetable prices ultimately declined 0.5% during the year. Vegetable prices rebounded in 2015, only to be followed by a 4.5% decline in 2016, which was partly caused by the strengthening of the US dollar and growing price competition from low-cost imports. In 2017, vegetable prices rose by 7.6%. Cool weather conditions pushed prices up by a significant 13.1% in 2019. The price index for vegetables that year was driven by increases in the price of celery, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes and broccoli.
In 2020, vegetable prices increased 4.6%. With restaurants closed during the pandemic, demand for vegetables shifted away from food service establishments to grocery stores and supermarkets, which saw major increases in demand as food consumption habits were forced to change. Although prices remained tempered in the first half of 2021, supply shortages and disruptions have resulted in recent price hikes as the economy has reopened in the second half of the year. Continued shortages as demand outpaces supply have caused sustained price hikes. Additionally, the conflict in Ukraine has introduced uncertainty into the market as well as furthering supply chain disruptions. This trend caused the price of vegetables to rise 45.2% in 2022. This increase in prices continued through the current period, with 2024 and 2025 fluctuating in volatility and price trend trajectory.
Over the five years to 2030, the price of vegetables is forecast to rise at an annualized rate of...
Gain strategic insight and analysis on thousands of industries.