In W19 in the tomato landscape, it was reported that the recurrence of Tuta absoluta in Nigerian tomatoes has exposed the federal government's inability to tackle underrated threats to food security, leading to an estimated USD 2.1M loss. It has led to a 363% increase in the price of fresh tomatoes in the Lagos markets. The tomato industry in Uganda has been growing steadily, with farmers adopting new varieties to boost yields and increase income. The Tomato Ansal f1 is a hybrid variety that grows to a specific height and stops, making it ideal for small-scale farmers with limited space.
The uncontrolled growth of tomato imports from Morocco and the Farm to Fork Strategy are threatening local tomato production, which is declining in its production and foreign trade. Spanish tomato exports to the UK have also decreased, from 143,182T to 70,780T. The Dutch campaign has led to a sharp drop in the price of tomatoes, resulting in a decrease in sales of Italian tomatoes. Also, Southern Italy has signed pre-harvest tomato supply contracts to ensure fair pricing and financial stability for 300 Apulian producers in 2023. The Italian market is holding up on green tomatoes, marinda, datterino, and cherry tomatoes, which sell for around USD 4.34/kg. On the other hand, tomato cultivation in Andalusia has recovered more than in the rest of Spain, with the area devoted to growing tomatoes increasing by 4.42% to 14,160ha. Forecasts suggest that the rest of the territories, mainly Murcia and Valencia, will experience a decline in supply. On the other hand, Russia has decided to increase the volume of tomato imports from Turkey. Turkish tomato exports to Russia amounted to USD 68M in 2021, but only USD 33M in 2022. Tomato supply is increasing in Germany, with prices ranging from USD 3.32-4.65/kg.
On the other hand, in California, the unprecedented amount of snowfall is melting due to the warm weather, flooding farmland, and preventing some farmers from planting in time. This has also led to a higher price of tomatoes. Farmers are putting more seeds into the ground to make up for a shortened planting season, but it may be too late. Lastly, tomato growers in India are losing money as a result of the sharp decline in the wholesale price. Prices have dropped to USD 1.21-1.82 (INR 100-150) per 25 kg crate, compared to the 2022 average prices of USD 7.28-9.71 (INR 600-800) per crate.
