In W28 in the tomato landscape, Chile exported over 136 thousand metric tons (mt) of tomato paste from May-22 to Apr-23. This represents an 11% growth in foreign sales compared to the 2017 to 2019 period, but there has been a 14% year-on-year (YoY) decline in exports. On the other hand, Chile has seen a 44% decrease in import volumes over the span of ten years, solidifying South America's position as the primary buyer. Furthermore, Central American countries have significantly increased their purchases of Chilean products, with an impressive growth rate of over 80%. Foreign tomato sales in the Far East region saw a negative annual variation primarily due to slowdowns in procurement from Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. Despite this, the overall export volumes remain 5% higher than the pre-Covid period. The customs value of tomato pastes exported amounted to around USD 214 million, a 38% YoY increase and 105% on the average performance for the pre-Covid period.
Tomato growers in Europe face challenges like Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and greenhouse cultivation, leading to reduced production. Some European farmers switched to cucumber cultivation to mitigate the situation. Despite the challenges faced by tomato growers in Europe, the demand for tomatoes remains consistently high and difficult to measure accurately. Furthermore, Sakata Seed company, a global market player in the fresh market tomato industry, focuses on research and development to combat ToBRFV. Sakata confirmed intermediate resistance to ToBRFV in four specialty varieties: Chocostar F1, Lemonstar F1, Royalstar F1, and Luciestar F1. These varieties play a crucial role in growers' programs to mitigate the significant challenges ToBRFV presents. The ToBRFV is rapidly spreading and negatively impacting tomato production worldwide due to its ability to overcome standard genes used for resistance to Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) or Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Meanwhile, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture predicts hope for tomato traders and consumers amid a supply shortage due to a conflict in Burkina Faso. Farmers in Northern Ghana face challenges like poor infrastructure and higher prices. However, investors are ready to invest in the tomato industry, which will increase the tomato production in Ghana.
The Reserve Bank of India reports that seasonal tomato prices in India have pushed the inflation higher, with a 127% increase in the price of tomatoes in Jun-23. This led to a 2.18% month-on-month (MoM) increase in food prices and a 1.01% MoM increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), bringing the inflation rate from 4.25% to 4.81% YoY. India has been affected by irregular weather conditions, including high rainfall, which led to a shortage of tomatoes. These unseasonable weather patterns have also caused significant damage to tomato crops and have facilitated the spread of a deadly fungal disease, further contributing to the shortage. Tomato prices in Mumbai and Delhi have risen to USD 1.95/kg or more, making them inaccessible to low-income households. Traders warn that prices may reach a record high of USD 2.43/kg due to heavy monsoon rains. Although July is typically a season when tomato prices are higher, consumers have recently experienced extraordinarily high and unprecedented prices for tomatoes.
Furthermore, Tamil Nadu, India's government, has announced plans to expand the sale of tomatoes to 300 fair-price shops and launch mobile vegetable outlets to stabilize the increasing prices. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu directed the opening of mobile vegetable shops through the city corporation and Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency, similar to the successful Covid-19 lockdowns. Currently, tomatoes stand at USD 1.70/kg (INR 1.70/kg) in the retail market.