The European Union is expecting stable fresh tomato production for 2023. There are more imports from countries like Morocco and Turkey, while exports from the EU to the UK, Asia, and North America, among others, keep falling. That is according to a European Commission report.
The agricultural markets' short-term outlook summer edition highlights the lingering challenges such as energy. High costs affect the entire chain. Yet, the report also points out that growers also profited from the energy extremes. That could offset lower production in some cases.
While the fresh tomato market remains stable, the one for industrial tomatoes grew by 8.4%. Fresh tomato consumption lies at 15 kg/person. The smaller segments are becoming more popular, resulting in lower total kilograms. Like production, industrial tomato consumption increased, too, by eight percent.
Fresh tomato imports should rise by seven percent to 850,000 tons. Exports have been falling for years, and in 2023 by six percent. Third countries' competition for exports to the United Kingdom and high costs and customs issues are cited as major causes. Those same issues hinder exports to Asia, the United States, and Canada, too.
