Morocco Overtakes Spain as Top Tomato Supplier to European Union

In the first quarter of 2023, Moroccan tomatoes accounted for 31% of the EU market, outperforming Spanish tomatoes which recorded a share of 25%, according to data provided by Hortoinfo via the Euroestacom (ICEX-Eurostat) statistical services. During the same period, Turkey was able to sell 14% of its production on the European market, up +56.48%.

Until recently, Spain dominated this market, but the first quarter of 2023 saw a significant drop in its tomato sales of 29.5%, with a sales volume of 160.94 million kilos. In comparison, Morocco increased its sales by 9.74%, selling 196.48 million kilos of tomatoes to the EU, and thus recorded an increase in value of 62.43%, reaching 358.65 million euros.

Other countries, such as Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, have also made their presence felt in this market. Despite strong activity, the total volume of tomatoes purchased by EU member states decreased by 18.47% compared to 2021, totaling 641.04 million kilos. Despite this decline, the overall value of the transactions amounted to 1.287 billion euros, with an average price of 2.01 euros per kilo.