Italy Ranks 3rd Among Global Processed Tomato Producers

Dec 11, 20201 min read

For years Italy has been and still is, an undisputed point of reference in the processed tomato sector. According to Anicav (National Association of Canned Food Industry), Italy is in fact the third-largest producer of tomatoes in the world after the United States and China. Italy’s production is 13% of the world’s and 53% of Europe’s, for a total turnover of 3.5 billion euros – 1.8 of which come from exports.

Up to 5,166,000 tons of tomatoes were produced in Italy in 2020

PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS

Italy confirms itself as the top producer and exporter country of tomato derivatives. About 60% of red preserves production is destined for exports. According to Anicav data, in the first eight months of 2020, exports of canned tomatoes products grew by +2.64% in volume and +9.44% in value.

Italian Red Preserves Exports – Top Destination Countries

ITALIAN CANNED TOMATOES 2020 CAMPAIGN

The 2020 tomato processing campaign in Italy ended a month ago. Despite the greater investments and quantity of raw material available, in order to guarantee the high-quality standards of mashed, peeled, pulped and cherry tomatoes, it was necessary to use greater quantities of fresh tomatoes, with a consequent decrease in industrial yields.

Moreover, in Central and Southern Italy, and particularly in the Foggia area (Apulia), agricultural yields recorded a significant decrease, also due to the increase in the prices of raw material.