As of today, the Netherlands is the largest tomato exporter in the world. The latest export figures show that the Dutch have overtaken Mexico, the former No. 1.
The Dutch agriculture and horticulture sector exported about 1.8 billion dollars (1.3 billion Euro) worth of tomatoes last year, while Mexico exported a mere 1.7 billion dollars. The two superpowers are followed by Spain, which ships $ 1.2 billion in tomatoes. The remaining countries in the top five, Turkey and France, sell no more than four hundred million in foreign trade. "The figures show, however, that the tomato sector is doing very well,” says Sharon Dijksma, State Secretary of Economic Affairs.
