Morocco has overtaken the Netherlands and Spain as the leading supplier of tomatoes to the UK. Morocco has become the second largest supplier of tomatoes to the EU surpassing Italy. The Netherlands will regain its production capacity and level of competitiveness next season. The key to the survival of the Spanish sector is not to produce more, but to produce better.
Fig. 1. Key data in tomato production in Spain, the Netherlands and Morocco
In 2022, the volume of tomato exported by Morocco to the EU stood at almost 75% of the total, the same as in value. Morocco exported 740,661 tons of tomatoes last year, of which 557,605 tons reached the European market. A decade ago its export capacity was 61.7% lower. Historically, by country, France is the leading buyer of Moroccan tomatoes, followed by the United Kingdom, Spain and Russia. However, since the invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands has taken Russia's place, overtaking even Spain.
Another destination that was traditionally one of the most important for Spanish tomatoes, the United Kingdom, has been losing steam and, at present, Morocco has become the leader in tomato sales to the UK, even ahead of the Netherlands, the largest exporter so far. According to the latest data presented by Mr. Sancho, Morocco exported to the UK 82,499 tons up to July 2022, while the Netherlands 77,444 and Spain 41,231. The journalist contrasts these figures with the data recorded in 2017: Morocco exported 49,312 tons of tomatoes to UK; 175,924 Netherlands and 111,319 Spain.
The Netherlands to recover its production capacity
In the current 2022/23 season, the tomato acreage in Spain has grown slightly, taking advantage of the decline recorded in the Netherlands due to the sharp increase in energy prices, especially. This increase in the number of tomato hectares grown under plastic (about 5,700 in Almería and around 2,000 in Murcia) has resulted in a profitable season for Spanish growers.
However, the general manager of Coexphal, the Almeria growers' organization, Luis M. Fernández, urges caution and acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding tomato in Spain in the future. He says that the Netherlands is going to recover its production capacity and its level of competitiveness in the next campaign because "they have practically solved the problems of energy cost overruns”. According to Coexphal estimates, the current season, “the Dutch have reduced their tomato area by just 2%, recording changes in its production schedule, which is what benefited the Spanish production”.
How to ensure the Spanish sector survival
To ensure the survival of the Spanish tomato, the sector "must continue to improve in quality and do it focused on service: being a reliable supplier, proactive and solving customer problems," Coexphal’s manager recommends. Mr. Fernández also advocates process automation to reduce costs and increase competitiveness. "We have to achieve a more professional workforce, with higher productivity”. Given the segmentation of the tomato Spanish market, he stresses the importance of promoting "agreements between plant breeders, marketing companies and retailers to sell products on an exclusive basis".
Sources: España resiste a la competencia marroquí y holandesa (revistamercados.com) ¿Cómo avanzar en la guerra del tomate? (revistamercados.com)
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