Southern Europe and North Africa face tomato supply disruptions; Italian wholesale prices at €1.0/kg

Italian wholesale tomato prices remain low at €1.0/kg for cluster types, with weak demand and mixed quality. Tunisia and Spain report significant supply disruptions due to extreme heat, while Turkish dried tomato exports to Europe remain robust.

On Italian wholesale markets, cluster tomato prices are reported at €1.0/kg this week, with Lazio's 'pixel' variety down to €1.5/kg. Demand is described as weak and the quality of produce from the Fondi region is not meeting expectations. Premium Sicilian cherry tomatoes (datterino) are maintaining higher prices due to resilience to heat, but no specific price is given. Dutch tomato quality is reportedly impacted by unusually high temperatures, affecting their competitiveness on European markets.

In Spain, the region of Extremadura expects industrial tomato production to fall by 10% below contracted volumes due to persistent heatwaves. Night temperatures nearing 30°C have disrupted flowering, fruit set, and accelerated ripening, resulting in lighter fruit and increased losses from blossom-end rot. The cultivated area this season is nearly 20,700 hectares, but early and mid-season harvests are already showing reductions of up to 15% in some zones.

Tunisia's tomato sector is experiencing severe disruption due to recurring power outages caused by a heatwave. In the Cap Bon region, only 5-6 out of 14 processing plants are operational, forcing others to cut back on intake from growers. Farmers are struggling with irrigation and delays in delivery, resulting in increased spoilage as tomatoes deteriorate rapidly in the heat. Nearly 35% of Tunisia’s tomato harvest is estimated to be at risk if energy supply is not stabilized.

Turkey exported 18,301 tonnes of dried tomatoes worth €56.2 million (USD 60,989,000) in the first half of 2026, with Italy as the largest European customer (€8.2 million). Turkish exporters target €92 million (USD 100 million) in dried tomato exports for the full year, with continued strong demand from European markets for use in processed foods and retail.

A new campaign for the Spanish premium cherry tomato 'Sugardrop' is targeting increased brand presence in key European retail markets. The brand, produced in Murcia, is available year-round and aims to expand its share in high-demand segments, including in Poland.

Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker · Illustrative image generated by AI