Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 7.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €11.1bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
The reed glasswing cicada is becoming a serious threat to potato, beet and vegetable cultivation in Germany
- The spread of the reed glasswinged cicada has posed a growing threat to the production of staple foods in Germany since 2022. The insect, which originally specialised on reeds, is now present almost throughout Germany and has switched hosts to sugar beet and potatoes. For the 2024 growing season, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture reported that around 85,000 hectares of sugar beet and 22,000 hectares of potatoes - corresponding to around 8% of the total potato cultivation area - were infested by the pathogens transmitted by the cicada. The consequences for yields and product quality are serious. Individual fields show yield losses of more than 50 %. In particular, the industrial processing and marketing of the products is considerably restricted by the disease infestation.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
A high minimum wage puts the competitiveness of German agriculture to the test
- The planned increase in the statutory minimum wage to 13.90 euros from 2026 and 14.60 euros from 2027 will put German farmers in the fruit, vegetable and wine-growing sectors under considerable competitive pressure. While labour costs already account for up to 60% of production costs in Germany, the minimum wage in neighbouring European countries such as Poland (7.08 euros), Spain (8.37 euros) and Greece (5.60 euros) is significantly lower in some cases. The opportunities to pass on these rising costs through higher product prices are extremely limited due to the market power of retailers. According to the Federal Agricultural Information Centre, the level of self-sufficiency in 2022 was only 36% for vegetables and 23% for fruit. The industry is therefore warning of an increasing dependence on imports.
Biggest companies in the Vegetable Growing in Germany
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (€m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH | 270.6 | |
Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG | 167.0 | |
Pilzland Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH | 100.2 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Potatoes, Root and tuber vegetables and Leaf and stem vegetables. Potatoes is the largest segment of the Vegetable Growing in Germany.
Trends and Insights
Potatoes record a growing share of sales despite declining harvest volumes due to high prices
- This segment comprises almost 550 authorised potato varieties. A third of the potatoes produced in Germany are processed into food, while a quarter are consumed directly as table potatoes. Just under a fifth is used to produce starch.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
This sector includes the cultivation of vegetables, melons and tubers such as potatoes. Farmers in this sector grow leaf and stem vegetables, fruit vegetables, mushrooms, roots, bulbs and tubers. This sector does not include the cultivation of aromatic and spice plants.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany include Potatoes, Root and tuber vegetables, Leaf and stem vegetables, Fruit vegetables and Cabbage.Companies
Companies covered in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany include Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH, Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG and Pilzland Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH.Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany include producer organisation, organic farming, pestizide, field vegetables and degree of self-sufficiency.Industry Code
WZ 01.13 - Vegetable Growing in Germany
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Vegetable growers have a high seasonal demand for labour. Over the past five years, the number of available seasonal workers in Germany has fallen significantly, which is why...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Potatoes are the industry's top-selling product, directly followed by root and tuber vegetables. The potato harvest in 2024 reached a record level and per capita consumption ...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
There are many small businesses in the sector in southern Germany. The climatic conditions in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are particularly favourable for growing vegetables...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Competition in the vegetable growing sector is fierce. As vegetables have to fulfil certain requirements in order to reach the retail trade, the sector's products are relativ...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
There are no major players in the vegetable and potato cultivation sector. The sector is highly fragmented and consists mainly of small agricultural businesses.
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Pilzland Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Pilzland Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The Fertiliser Ordinance regulates the use of plant additives and growing media. The aim of the ordinance is to protect the fertility of the soil and the health of humans, pl...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The level of profit margins in vegetable cultivation depends heavily on weather conditions. As these are uncontrollable external factors, crop yields and profits in open fiel...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany in 2025?
The market size of the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany is €11.1bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany in 2025?
There are 33,330 businesses in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany?
The Vegetable Growing industry in Germany is likely to be significantly impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany?
The Vegetable Growing industry in Germany is likely to be impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
Has the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 7.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany are Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH, Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG and Pilzland Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH
What does the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany include?
Potatoes and Root and tuber vegetables are part of the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany is Erzeugerorganisation für Obst und Gemüse Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH.
How competitive is the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Vegetable Growing industry in Germany.
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Germany include:
- German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
- European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
- United Nations Comtrade
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
