Bell pepper is a vegetable that occupies one of the key places in the summer-autumn diet of Ukrainians.

In Central America, Mexico, and North-South America there is evidence that numerous types of peppers (Capsicum annuum) have been cultivated by native peoples for at least 6,500 years.

In 2020, 181.3 thousand tons of pepper were grown, which is 5% higher than last year. And although the production of this vegetable in Ukraine is much lower than the more traditional tomatoes and cucumbers. Ukraine ranks 18th in the ranking of the largest bell pepper producers globally.

Over the past 5 years, the volume of pepper imports to Ukraine has increased 3 times, which is due to the formation of a healthier culture of consumption and consumption of vegetables throughout the year. The main volumes of imported supplies fall on the winter and spring months, when Ukraine's own pepper production is practically non-existent.

Svitlana Lytvyn , UCAB analyst

Both sweet and bitter peppers are grown in Ukraine. However, the share of sweet is much higher: 94% of total production. Both industrial enterprises and households produce both types of pepper. At the same time, the share of production by industrial enterprises is insignificant - only 7%. The rest is grown in homes to meet their own needs or further partial sale.

In 2020, 14.6 thousand tons of this vegetable were imported, which is 7% higher than in the previous year. At the same time, export shipments of pepper are minimal.

Svitlana Lytvyn , UCAB analyst

The main suppliers of pepper to Ukraine are:

• Turkey (40%)
• Spain (29%)
• Netherlands (14%)
• Poland (12%)
• France (2%)

Interesting fact:

From the end of the 17th century, Bulgarian merchants began to bring sweet pepper to Bessarabia, Ukraine, and the south of Russia, ensuring the circulation of the new name "Bulgarian pepper" of the product in these territories. In Bulgaria itself, this culture is called either simply "pepper", or "chushka" or "piperka". Often, the name of a particular variety is used to identify a product.