European tomato harvest will fall until 2031

Until 2031, EU tomato production is expected to fall by -0.4% per year. The decrease in tomato cultivation is mainly caused by the sharp decline in winter cultivation in Spain and the shift to smaller tomato varieties, which have less volume but have more added value. Spanish growers switch to growing more profitable crops in the winter months due to fierce competition from Morocco. In the case of peaches and nectarines, the continuing shrinkage of the growing area is weighing down the harvests. Total apple production in the EU is expected to remain stable at 11.1 million tonnes until 2031. This is due to a shrinkage of the cultivation area and higher yields, which are due to high-yielding low-stem varieties and better cultivation methods. It is expected that in 2031 7.6 million tons of apples will be available for consumption and 3.6 million tons for the processing industry. The production of tomatoes for processing will remain stable at about 10.4 million tons. However, ...