French Tomato Industry Struggles as Moroccan Imports Surge
Tomato producers in France are going through a period of anxiety, faced with increased competition from imported products. More than 40% of the tomatoes consumed in the country are imported, with Morocco being the main supplier.
The French tomato industry, already grappling with high production costs, is seeing its situation further complicated by the arrival of winter, a season when tomatoes, although less present, do not disappear from the shelves. The predominance of Moroccan tomatoes in local supermarkets raises questions about the viability of the French tomato on its own territory.
The 19% increase in tomato imports in one year highlights the difficulties faced by French producers, with a significant portion of these imports coming from Morocco. At the same time, greenhouse production in France has seen an alarming 13% drop. Professionals in the sector, like a market gardener interviewed by TF1 near Rennes, attribute this decline to insufficient sunshine at the beginning of the summer, as well as the obsolescence and high heating costs of French greenhouses, which cannot compete with their foreign counterparts.
Even the strategy of focusing on varieties preferred by consumers, such as cherry tomatoes, has not yielded the expected results for French farmers. They note with concern that Moroccan producers are also embarking on the cultivation of these varieties, further intensifying competition in the market.