Tomato

In 2006, out of the 72,000 tonnes of tomatoes sold at the Rungis MIN, imported tomatoes represented 45,000 tonnes. The tonnage of tomatoes put on sale at Rungis from September to December 2006 was 21,000 tonnes, including 9,000 tonnes of French tomatoes and 12,000 tonnes of imported tomatoes. During this period, the NOVAGRIM company, with 3,000 tonnes of imported tomatoes from Turkey, obtained a market share of 25% of imported tomatoes. In this way, it established itself as a major importer of tomatoes for the Rungis market. Turkish tomatoes are present in France in particular from September to November, a period when there are still no Moroccan tomatoes in France.

In the same period, Spain (with a 33% market share) ranked first in imported tomatoes. Morocco (with a 28% market share) managed to keep second place. While Turkey ranked third, Poland had to settle for fourth place. Tomatoes being the most consumed and marketed product in the world, they also represent the leading agricultural product consumed within the Rungis National Interest Market. Still from Morocco and Italy, certain varietal tomatoes such as elongated tomatoes or elongated branched cherry tomatoes are becoming increasingly popular. Even if these varieties are produced with the aim of creating added value compared to the classic round tomato, the classic round long-life tomato remains the best-selling tomato on the market.

In 2007, 25,600 tonnes of French tomatoes were sold at the Rungis wholesale market, while during the same period 48,000 tonnes of imported tomatoes were sold. For this period a total of 74,000 tonnes of tomatoes were sold at Rungis (Morocco, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Turkey).

In 2007, Moroccan tomatoes and Spanish tomatoes shared the first two places at Rungis (Moroccan tomatoes 14,250 tonnes, Spanish tomatoes 12,480 tonnes) while only 107 tonnes of tomatoes from the Canary Islands were sold. The rest of the imported tomatoes (excluding Moroccan and Spanish tomatoes) was 21,000 tonnes (Holland, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Turkey).

Turkey exports 70% more fresh tomatoes than five years ago (especially to Russia). Concerning industrial tomatoes, Turkey produces an average of 1,565,000 tons over the last five years. However, the variations from one year to the next are significant, with a minimum of 950,000 tons and a maximum of two million tons over the last five years. Along with Spain and Tunisia, Turkey is one of the Mediterranean countries where tomato production has increased the most over the last five years.

Turkey has an export vocation for quality products, particularly to Japan and Russia. Exports to European Union countries have fallen sharply in recent years due to the non-application of the duty exemption on Turkish quotas. Turkey also has large outlets for standard quality goods produced in large quantities at the end of the season: this is the case for the Turkish domestic market (estimated at around 100,000 tonnes of concentrate), but also for Arab countries, as well as for the former Soviet republics, Russia and East Africa (around 100,000 tonnes exported in 2007).

France produces 760,000 tons of tomatoes and is ranked fifth among the producing countries in the European Union. The “Rhône” region produces nearly 60% of French tomatoes while the “Brittany” region produces only 20% of the total production. Italy is the leading producer of tomatoes in the European Union with a market share of 42%, followed by Spain (25%), Greece (12%), Portugal (6%). France represents 5% of European production but it exports 100,000 tons of its production, notably to Germany (40%), the Benelux countries (18%), the new member countries of the European Union (11%), Italy (8%), Great Britain (7%), Spain / Portugal (5%) and Russia (4%).

In 2008 a total of 71,000 tonnes of tomatoes (including 23,000 tonnes of French tomatoes, 12,000 tonnes of Moroccan tomatoes and 14,000 tonnes of Spanish tomatoes) were sold at the Rungis wholesale market. 22,000 tonnes of tomatoes from other origins were sold during the same period (Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Poland, etc.). In 2009 the Rungis wholesale market recorded sales of a total of 65,505 tonnes of tomatoes and in 2010 the amount of tomatoes sold reached a total of 63,594 tonnes.