UK Pea Prices Ease Slightly as Tight Domestic Supply Meets Cheaper Black Sea Offers

UK pea prices have edged lower this week but remain well above Ukrainian export levels, as a shortfall in the 2026 domestic harvest keeps supply tight and local demand firm, according to a 4 October 2026 market update from CMB News.

Price Movements

The latest FOB London quotations show small week-on-week declines. GB-origin dried marrowfat peas are quoted at €1.22/kg, down €0.02 from €1.24/kg recorded on 19 September 2026. GB-origin dried green peas stand at €0.95/kg, down €0.01 from €0.96/kg on 26 September 2026.

Ukrainian peas remain substantially cheaper. Dried yellow peas (98% purity), origin Ukraine, FCA Odesa are quoted at €0.17/kg — stable since mid-September — while dried green peas (98% purity), origin Ukraine, FCA Odesa are at €0.19/kg, unchanged after a €0.01 correction in late September, CMB News reported.

Supply Context

The CMB News report attributed the tight UK availability to a below-target 2026 growing season. According to the report, UK produce commentary points to pea volumes at around two-thirds of target, with production reaching only around 69% of the seasonal target. The report noted this shortfall is consistent with earlier expectations of reduced UK pulse area for harvest 2026, as growers shifted land into other crops.

On the import side, Ukrainian Black Sea export logistics are described as functional. The report stated that Odesa-region ports are responsible for the bulk of Ukraine's grain and oilseed shipments, including pulses, and that these ports have handled substantial cargo volumes in 2026 despite the security backdrop, underpinning reliable export flows.

Market Dynamics and Feed Use

The wide price gap between domestic and Ukrainian-origin peas is central to the current market dynamic. CMB News noted that low-priced Ukrainian peas cap upside for feed users, with FCA Odesa prices providing an attractive ceiling for feed formulations in continental Europe and potentially in the UK where freight and risk premia allow.

Domestic marrowfat values, which reflect specialist food-grade uses, continue to command the highest premium among the benchmarks tracked. UK green feed peas, while lower, remain priced well above Ukrainian export origins.

Weather and Harvest Logistics

The report noted that the 2026 UK harvest campaign has been challenging, with progress slowing in northern regions due to wetter conditions and higher grain moisture. With peas largely in store, CMB News described weather as now a freight and handling factor rather than a yield driver. The short-term UK weather outlook was characterised as largely dry with only scattered showers and temperatures near seasonal norms, implying minimal disruption to post-harvest operations and transport in key eastern England and Midlands growing areas.

Short-Term Outlook

CMB News characterised the very near-term price tone as mildly softer rather than decisively bearish, with strong food-grade demand expected to keep marrowfat values broadly range-bound. Ukrainian FCA Odesa prices were described as likely to remain stable near-term, with the Black Sea export corridor functioning and no fresh supply shock signals in recent days.