June 6 2008, 10:05

Volumes of fresh tomato sales reaches EUR 50 billion

During the international "Tomato conference", conducted by Syngenta company in Holland, Massimo Enzo, the Marketing Director of EAME Vegetables Syngenta Seeds pointed out the importance of tomatoes for the mankind. He said that fresh tomatoes are sold in retail for around EUR 50 billion during one year.

The largest tomato producers are China, USA, Turkey, India, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico. Ten largest producers in the world annually export more than 5 mln. tons of tomatoes; ten largest importers purchase more than 3.5 mln. tons. Seventy- ninety percents of European inhabitants consume tomatoes; this is one of the highest levels among all food products.

The analysts of CIS fruit & vegetable business "Fruit-Inform" inform, tomato production is actively developing in Ukraine too. However, the general changes have been observed in the production structure - the producers accurately divide their target markets: either commercial tomatoes or the tomatoes for fresh market. Greenhouse complexes of the country are also actively extending the acreage of greenhouse tomato cultivation areas, because the demand for this product is increasing in the country and in the neighboring Russia.