Production
On a global scale, the annual production of fresh tomatoes amounts to approximately 180 million tonnes. About a quarter of those 160 million tonnes are grown for the processing industry, which makes tomatoes the world’s leading vegetable for processing. On average 39 million tonnes of tomatoes are processed every year in factories belonging to the greatest labels of the global food industry.
Nearly 40 million tonnes of tomatoes processed annually
On a global scale, the annual production of fresh tomatoes amounts to approximately 180 million tonnes. In comparison, two times more potatoes and four times more rice are grown around the world. However, about a quarter of those 160 million tonnes are grown for the processing industry, which makes tomatoes the world’s leading vegetable for processing.
On average 39 million tonnes of tomatoes are processed every year in factories belonging to the greatest labels of the global food industry.
The main production regions for tomatoes intended for processing are located in temperate zones, close to the 40th parallels North and South. However, most of this production is based in the Northern hemisphere, where an average of 90% of the world’s crop is processed between the months of July and December. The remaining 10% are processed in the Southern hemisphere between January and June. Brazil is an exception, being the only country of the Southern hemisphere to process more than one million tonnes per year at the same time as the Northern hemisphere.
Tomatoes for processing are produced exclusively in open fields, never in greenhouses.
Volume of tomatoes processed in different countries in 2022
A concentrated industry
Despite the fact that many countries have a tomato processing industry, this production is strongly concentrated and the ten largest producing countries account for some 83 % of the world’s yearly production. However, in recent years, the quantities processed outside these ten countries are increasing steadily and the share of Top10 in global activity tends to decrease.
WPTC members represent more than 90% of the total volume processed globally
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