W46: Weekly Tomato Update
India
Relief for Some Indian Consumers With Lower Vegetable Prices (Nov 14)
Vegetable prices that became very expensive during the Indian festive season have now started to come cheaper in the local Udupo market. Tomato has seen the biggest decrease at USD 0.24/kg INR 20/kg less. Carrots have decreased to USD 0.86 (INR 70) from a high of USD 1.2 (INR 100) on W45. However, onions, a staple ingredient in Indian food have increased from USD 0.49 (INR 40) to USD 0.60 (INR 50/kg). It is due to heavy rains and limited quantities of onions available on the market.
Supply Glut in India Leads to Drop in Tomato and Coriander Prices (Nov 15)
Due to a supply glut, the prices of tomatoes and coriander nosedived in retail and wholesale markets across Pune and other provinces in India. Tomatoes stood at USD 0.36 (INR 30) compared to USD 0.86 (INR 70) last November 2022. A bunch of coriander is sold at up to USD 0.12 (INR 10) now, while it sold up to USD 0.49 (INR 40) a month ago. India's Agriculture Produce Market Committee officials said the intake of these vegetables into the markets increased substantially, causing the decrease in prices. Prices were higher due to shortages caused by monsoon rains, but now that crops are starting to recover, more produce is available. Prices will likely remain high for weeks to come as more produce is supplied to markets. Tomato farmers in Andhra Pradesh are in severe distress following a slump in prices after an oversupply in markets. Prices have fallen so much that farmers cannot afford to bring their produce to the market anymore.
Turkey
Turkish Tomato Growers Plan to Increase Their Market Share in Europe (Nov 16)
Due to rising energy costs in Europe, greenhouse tomato production has either declined or stopped altogether. This opens up new opportunities for Turkish fruit and vegetable exporters. Therefore, the demand for imported tomatoes in the EU countries will be high, Sibel Karakay, export director of Compass Fruit, a Turkish company supplying fruits and vegetables, told FreshPlaza.
European consumers generally prefer vine tomatoes and large-fruited tomato varieties that are grown indoors with minimal use of pesticides. Turkey could become one of the major suppliers in the European market, the exporter noted. At the moment, the main sales markets for Turkish manufacturers are the countries of Eastern Europe, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as Israel and the countries of the Middle East.
United States
U.S Astronauts Carry Tomatoes in Their Luggage (Nov 18)
NASA is working on nutrition research that aims to bring humans closer to Mars. November is the schedule for the program's second round, and many tomatoes will be aboard with them. A few of the innovations that will travel on SpaceX's 26th commercial resupply mission are yogurt packets and space tomatoes. However, studies have found that the current shelf life of certain vitamins, nutrients, and pharmaceuticals is too short for long missions, Jhon Hogan, head of the Division of Bioengineering and Space Biosciences, Jhon Hogan, told a press conference. Regarding tomatoes, the same type will be grown on Earth in conditions that mimic the International Space Station, to assess the impact of growth in two places. The farmers will evaluate the flavors as the exploited tomatoes are grown in a vegetable production system and harvested three times in a hundred days.
Egypt
Tomato Prices Today in the Market (Nov 16)
Tomato prices decreased on November 15, 2022, and the kilo ranged between two and a half pounds to 5lb – retail – instead of 6.5lb, yesterday, and the cage weighed 18 kilos in the transit market, from 55-90lb, compared to 120lb hours ago, as a result of the increase in harvesting rates. In the governorates of Minya and South Upper Egypt. Traders confirmed that the rates of decline in tomato prices amounted to 25%.
Brazil
Tomato Prices Skyrocket in October (Nov 14)
Tomato prices soared again in October 2022, after inflation picked up again in the country. According to data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the official index rose after three consecutive deflations. Extended National Consumer Price Index considered the country's official inflation, which accelerated to 0.59% in October 2022, according to data released on November 10, 2022.
Brazillian Tomato Leads Price Change (Nov 16)
Tomato rose in several regions of the country, one of them is Goiás, one of the largest national producers of vegetables. In November 2022, tomatoes were the item that most weighed heavily on the consumer's pocket in Anápolis. For example, the price had a 60% variation, and the data were disclosed by the city's Procon. Tomatoes were one of 23 goods surveyed over the survey's four-day span from the 4th to the 7th of the said month. The price of the fruit ranged from USD 0.94-1.50 (BRL 4.99-7.99). The poll found that the price of a dozen white eggs climbed by 46%, making it the second item to go up. The complete survey may be consulted on the Procon de Anápolis website. Tomato prices rose by 54.6% in just two months when compared to the Procon poll from September 2022. The tomato now costs USD 1.30 (BRL 6.91/kg), up from its previous price of USD 0.84/kg (BRL 4.47/kg).
Tomato Is the Villain at Ceasa Minas (Nov 19)
The rains recorded in Minas Gerais, combined with the closure of highways – the result of demonstrations by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro, interfered with the harvest and distribution of agricultural products. As a result, between September and October 2022, there was an increase in the prices of important products such as tomatoes, which became 53.87% more expensive; onion, 21.2%, and potatoes, 27.8%. In Minas Gerais, of the five vegetables surveyed, three showed double-digit price increases, and only one – carrots – ended October with a drop in prices compared to September 2022. Tomato prices saw the highest rise. The kilo was negotiated, on average, at USD 0.58 (BRL 3.09) in October 2022, an advance of 58.87% compared to September.
Cyprus
Potato and Tomato Prices Skyrocket in Cyprus (Nov 14)
The prices of potatoes increased by 22.4% to USD 1.51/kg (EUR 1.45/kg)and that of tomatoes by 46.4% to USD 3.41/kg (EUR 3.28/kg) in Cyprus. The price of seasonal vegetables increased by as much as 65.56%. The Consumer Protection Service of Cyprus monitors and releases monthly price increases. In November 2022, they had the highest price increase for many products.
Finland
Finland Producers Refuse to Grow Greenhouse Tomatoes in Winter Due to High Heating Costs (Nov 14)
According to some greenhouse tomato producers in northern Finland, they would not grow tomatoes this winter due to the exorbitant cost of gas and pellets for heating the greenhouses. During the winter months, Finnish companies account for about 40% of Finland's overall domestic tomato harvest. Therefore, this could be an opportunity for alternative-origin tomatoes to penetrate the market.
Italy
Tomatoes Production Ends Earlier and Starts Later in Italy (Nov 15)
The Lazio tomato campaign ends earlier than expected. The heat of September and October 2022 that accompanied the production brought forward the harvesting phase, determined lower yields, and at the same time favored the proliferation of harmful insects such as the silver spider mite. The season does not look rosy even for winter, with the rather high energy costs of the greenhouses which lead to delays in new transplants. The heat of late summer and early autumn has led to an earlier ripening of the fruit which will end the season earlier. The harvest ends not only because of the heat but also because this 2022, we tried to transplant a few days earlier. In the last two weeks consumption has slowed down due to the strong arrival of foreign goods from Spain, Morocco, and Albania.
Netherlands
Tomato Prices in EU Continue to Rise Faster Than “Normal” in the Autumn (Nov 17)
Cost-wise, there are quite a few challenges in the tomato market, but price-wise the prices continue to set records in October 2022 again. On average, prices across Europe were again well above the five-year average, and the peak price of the past five years was also well exceeded. The Netherlands recorded the largest peak, although the kilo price, as usual, still cannot match that in other countries. All this is evident from a new update of the European Commission's tomato dashboard.
The largest percentage deviation from the usual price increase in October 2022 can be seen in the Netherlands. Over the past five years, the price increased by an average of 28% from September to October. This year it was 54%. The percentage price increase is also greater in Spain (14% in 2022 at 8% in the past 5 years) and Italy (34% at 19%). In France, prices traditionally fall, but here, on the other hand, there is a slighter decrease in prices (-3% to -8%).
Tomato Price in Europe Rises More Than Normal (Nov 18)
In terms of cost, the tomato market faces several challenges, among them the established record prices. In October 2022, for example, all of Europe had prices well above the average after five years. Relative to the peak price of the last five years, the vegetable was well exceeded. The Netherlands had its biggest peak, although the price per kilo of tomatoes in northwest Europe has risen by an average of 28% in the last five years, according to the European Commission. The Netherlands had its biggest peak, with a 54% increase in prices between September 2014 and September 2015. High energy prices caused some producers to stop greenhouse cultivation in the Northwest region earlier.
Taiwan
In recent days, it has been mid-November 2022 and winter has entered, but the daytime temperature in central and southern China is still as high as 30 degrees Celsius. Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Jizhong will survey the damage to Chiayi six-legged small tomatoes today (15). The high temperature and drought have promoted the rapid reproduction of silver leaf whitefly, which has caused a viral disease commonly known as "crazy" on small tomatoes. Next year, tomato insurance plans will be launched to reduce farmers' Cultivation risk. Some young farmers told him that small tomatoes can be harvested 10 to 14 times on average, but this year they can only receive one time. The Council of Agriculture is applying to Japan for the "Pest-free Greenhouse Cultivation" project. It hopes to build a pest-free greenhouse with stricter pest management and allow small tomatoes to enter the Japanese market.
Ukraine
Tomatoes in Ukraine Went Up in Price and Cucumbers Went Down in Price (Nov 18)
Despite the first snow and frost, which end the vegetable season, cucumbers are cheaper due to the influx of imports. At the same time, a small supply of tomatoes raises their price.
Thus, at the largest wholesale market in western Ukraine - "Shuvar" in Lviv, the price of cucumbers fell from USD 2.17-2.44/kg (UAH 80-90/kg) to UAH 40 in 10 days. However, the supply of Ukrainian gherkins decreased significantly, and the appearance of the goods deteriorated. At the same time, the price of the last cream tomatoes rose - from USD 0.68-0.95/kg to USD 1.35-1.49/kg (UAH 25-35/kg to UAH 50-55/kg).