Garlic price rises by nearly a third in a year

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According to Eurostat data, the EU is a net importer of third countries. The EU’s fresh garlic imports reached 84.6 thousand tons in 2024 and increased by 23 percent to 70.9 thousand tons in the first seven months of 2025. 30 percent more (39.5 thousand tons) of garlic arrived from China. Garlic imports from Egypt increased by 91 percent (18,000 tonnes) in the same period. Argentina became the third most important supplier, from which 23 percent less (10,100 tonnes) of garlic was shipped to the EU. The EU’s fresh garlic exports decreased by 11 percent to 27,300 tonnes in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. The main target markets were the United Kingdom (–7 percent, 8,600 tonnes) and the USA (–4 percent, 8,100 tonnes).

According to Eurostat data, garlic production in Hungary has been between 5,100 and 5,600 tonnes in the past five years

In 2024, 5,190 tonnes of garlic were harvested from 630 hectares, which was 1 percent less than a year earlier. According to data from the Central Statistical Office, Hungary’s fresh garlic imports were 1,600 tons in 2024, then increased by 46 percent to 1,400 tons between January and August 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. More garlic arrived from Spain (+27 percent, 586.4 tons), the Netherlands (+83 percent, 429.8 tons), Austria (+89 percent, 117.5 tons), and Germany (+49 percent, 112.7 tons) in the first 8 months of 2025 than a year earlier. Annual exports of garlic range from 160 to 680 tons, mainly to neighboring countries, with exports falling by 43 percent to 65.2 tons in the observed period. According to data from AKI PÁIR, garlic was almost continuously present in the supply at the Budapest Wholesale Market this year. Domestically grown garlic was available in the 23rd week of this year at a price of 1,800 forints/kilogram. The producer price of garlic was 31 percent higher (1,810 forints/kilogram) in the 23rd–42nd week of 2025 than the average price of the same period of the previous year.

AKI PÁIR