In W41 in the tomato landscape, in the 2022/23 season, Spain's tomato exports decreased by 37.7%, which is 371.44 million kilograms (kg) less than the 2013/14 season. Over the past decade, major importers, including the United Kingdom (UK), France, the Netherlands, and Germany, significantly reduced tomato purchases. Despite the lower volume of exports of 613.9 million kg, the total export value reached a record of USD 1.22 billion (EUR 1.16 billion), with an average price of USD 2/kg (EUR 1.9/kg).
Moreover, almost 30% of Spanish tomato exports in the 2022/23 season were shipped to Germany, which purchased 178.35 million kg worth USD 383.6 million (EUR 364.03 million) at an average price of USD 2.15/kg (EUR 2.04/kg). Meanwhile, France received 79.2 million kgs of Spanish tomatoes valued at USD 128.21 million (USD 121.61 million), with an average price of USD 1.62/kg (EUR 1.54/kg). The Netherlands imported 77.37 million kgs of Spanish tomatoes, amounting to USD 137.43 million (EUR 130.36 million), at an average price of USD 1.77/kg (EUR 1.68/kg). The UK imported 61.1 million kgs of Spanish tomatoes, totaling USD 145.78 million (EUR 138.28 million), at an average price of USD 2.38/kg (EUR 2.26/kg). Finally, Poland received 39.14 million kgs of Spanish tomatoes, valued at USD 68.97 million (EUR 65.42 million), at an average price of USD 1.76/kg (EUR 1.67/kg).
Italy's 2023 tomato processing season is facing significant challenges, such as increasing production costs of raw materials and packaging and reduced consumption due to inflation, which impacted the industry's economic stability. Although tomato prices have increased, it has yet to result in high profits because they only cover manufacturing costs, which have increased by up to 40% year-on-year (YoY). As a result, the average reference price for round tomatoes is now around USD 158.10 per metric ton (EUR 150/mt) across the country. Despite these difficulties, Italy expanded its tomato cultivation area to approximately 68.6 thousand hectares (ha) in 2023, a 5% YoY increase, with an estimated production of about 5.6 million tons.
In 2022, Turkey earned USD 377.4 million from tomato exports to 54 countries. In comparison, the first nine months of 2023 already generated USD 381.4 million. Over this period, Turkey exported 423.3 thousand tons of tomatoes to 51 countries. Romania was the top importer, with Turkey exporting tomatoes worth USD 66.4 million, followed by Ukraine (USD 52.0 million), Poland (USD 39.0 million), Germany (USD 35.9 million), and Russia (USD 29.8 million).
Egypt has achieved record revenues from tomato paste and puree sales globally, totaling USD 57 million in 2022, a 50% YoY increase. Furthermore, the first half of 2023 saw Egyptian tomato paste and puree exports reaching USD 47 million. Egypt has experienced rapid growth in tomato paste exports across various markets. The European Union (EU) remains the primary export destination of Egyptian tomato paste and puree, with Poland surpassing Italy. Sub-Saharan Africa has become the second most significant region for Egyptian exports, with exports increasing nearly 11 times in the past five years, primarily to South Africa, Senegal, and Kenya. Morocco is the primary market in North Africa, and Jordan dominates the Middle East. South America has grown substantially in importing Egyptian tomato paste, with Brazil emerging as a growing market.
Lastly, the tomato production for Daccache Green Line company in Lebanon has increased dramatically, yielding about 1.5 thousand tons per season. This is due to temperature increases brought on by climate change in Mount Lebanon, which is about 1.5 thousand meters above sea level. The company's attention has switched to Europe and the United Arab Emirates due to Saudi Arabia's protectionist measures.