THE IMPORTANCE OF CUCUMBER CULTURE IN THE VEGETABLE SECTOR IN 2012-2017

Cucumber is a plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, including pumpkin, melon and green pumpkin. Due to the increasing demand on the domestic market, the area under cucumber (protected areas) for fresh consumption has increased significantly over the last 5 years, but nevertheless in the last two years this product has experienced a trade deficit in terms of the trade balance. The high price of the imported cucumbers compared to the exported ones shows that Romania is forced to import at this price because it fails to ensure the needs of the domestic market, especially during the off season.