W39: Tomato Update

In W39 in the tomato landscape, greenhouse tomato prices in Ukraine have risen due to a decrease in supply caused by cold weather and increasing production costs. Ukrainian greenhouse plant representatives now ship tomatoes at an average of 36% week-over-week (WoW) increase. Despite the increase, prices are still 10% lower than the previous year, and market players may consider further growth if the current sales rate of greenhouse tomatoes is maintained.

Turkish fresh fruit and vegetable exports reached historic highs in the first eight months of 2023, surpassing USD 2 billion, a 16% year-over-year (YoY) increase. Turkish tomatoes were the top commodity, with a total export of USD 351 million, a 34% YoY increase.

In the Californian market, the price of organic Heirloom tomatoes increased at the end of W39. Fewer tomatoes than expected are coming from Baja California and Mexico. Prices ranged from USD 23 to 26 per 10-pound (lb) box. The demand is expected to rise as the season shifts in Mexican fields at the start of October. The prices will likely keep going up in the coming days.

In India, the price of tomatoes in Maharashtra has dropped significantly from USD 2.4 per kilogram (INR 200/kg) a month ago to USD 0.036 to 0.06/kg (INR 3 to 5/kg), leaving growers with significant losses. The sudden decline was triggered by an unexpectedly high tomato yield. Many farmers either abandon their tomato crops or destroy their produce, as they cannot recover half of their investment.

In Pune, tomato prices have plunged to as low as USD 0.06/kg (INR 5/kg), while in Nashik, the average wholesale tomato prices have dropped significantly from USD 24.03/crate (INR 2,000/crate) to USD 1.08/crate (INR 90/crate) over the past six weeks. In Kolhapur, retail tomato prices have plummeted from USD 0.06 to 0.036/kg (INR 2 to 3/kg), down from USD 2.64/kg (INR 220/kg) just a month ago. In Pune's Junnar and Ambegaon tehsils, farmers are abandoning tomato plantations due to the falling wholesale prices in recent weeks.

According to the State Statistics Committee of 2023, Azerbaijan imported goods from Eurasian Economic Union countries worth USD 2 billion in the first half of 2023. Russia is the largest tomato producer in the world and among Eurasian Economic Union countries. Afghanistan's total tomato exports reached 108 thousand tons, with 97.9% going to Russia.