German agriculture has achieved a historic result in 2025. Vegetable harvests reached 4.5 million tons, representing an increase of 8.1 percent compared to the previous year and the highest level since statistics began in 1990. The dynamic growth of organic farming is particularly significant, with its area increasing by 6.4 percent. The largest volumes were for onions and carrots, and the largest cultivation areas were located in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
Historic Harvest Record
Total vegetable production in Germany in 2025 amounted to 4.5 million tons, exceeding the 2019-2024 average by 13.2 percent. This is the highest value since statistics began in 1990.
Onions Take First Place
Onions became the vegetable with the largest harvest quantity for the first time since 1990, reaching about 903 thousand tons. This represents an increase of over 21 percent compared to 2024.
Rapid Development of Organic Farming
The area of organic cultivation increased to 20,600 hectares, representing a growth of 6.4 percent. Total organic production rose by 12.6 percent, reaching 597 thousand tons.
Expansion of Cultivated Area
The total area of vegetable cultivation increased by 3.9 percent to 131,700 hectares. The crops were managed by 5,960 farms. Almost the entirety, 130,400 hectares, consisted of field crops.
German farmers recorded a record vegetable harvest in 2025, reaching the highest level in the history of statistics. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in Wiesbaden, the total quantity of harvested vegetables amounted to 4.5 million tons. This represents an increase of 8.1 percent compared to the previous year and exceeds the 2019-2024 average by 13.2 percent. This data confirms that German vegetable farming has not only recovered from earlier difficulties but has also surpassed previous production capacities. A significant change occurred in the harvest structure. Onions, with production at around 903 thousand tons, surpassed carrots for the first time since 1990 and became the vegetable with the largest harvest quantity. Its production increased by over 21 percent compared to 2024. Carrots, with a result of nearly 866 thousand tons, took second place, recording a slight increase of 1.8 percent. The following positions were occupied by white cabbage (507.5 thousand tons, an increase of 18.8 percent) and field cucumbers (197.6 thousand tons, a decrease of 7.5 percent). Agricultural statistics in Germany have been compiled continuously since the country's reunification in 1990. They allow for tracking long-term trends in agricultural production, including changes in crop structure and the growing share of organic farming, which in recent decades has become an important element of the European Union's agricultural policy. The organic farming sector developed particularly dynamically. The area allocated to organic farming increased to 20,600 hectares, representing a year-on-year growth of 6.4 percent. This already constitutes about 16 percent of the country's total vegetable area. Organic production grew even faster than the area, by 12.6 percent, reaching 597 thousand tons. Among the most popular species in organic cultivation are carrots, pumpkins, onions, and beetroot. The total area of vegetable cultivation in Germany increased to 131,700 hectares, and the number of farms specializing in this production is 5,960. Nearly 99 percent of this area (130,400 hectares) consists of field crops, whose area increased by 3.9 percent. Geographically, the largest cultivation areas are concentrated in several key federal states. North Rhine-Westphalia remains the leader with 28,600 hectares. Lower Saxony is in second place (26,500 ha), followed by Bavaria (17,500 ha) and Rhineland-Palatinate (16,000 ha). These regions traditionally play a key role in supplying the domestic market with fresh vegetables. This data indicates a stable and strengthening position for the German vegetable sector, which is also dynamically increasing the share of sustainable production methods.Largest Federal States by Vegetable Cultivation Area (2025): North Rhine-Westphalia: 28.6, Lower Saxony: 26.5, Bavaria: 17.5, Rhineland-Palatinate: 16.0