European tomato producers feel the heat of Moroccan competition

While tomato acreage in Europe shrinks, Morocco has almost tripled its area between 2013 and 2022 (from 5,500ha to almost 14,000ha), driving total tomato exports up by 61.7% in volume and over 300% in value (from €323M in 2013 to 982M in 2022). In 2022, Morocco exported 740,661 tons of tomatoes to the world, of which 557,605 tons (75%) went to the EU, according to European Commission data. France is the largest market for Moroccan tomatoes, followed by the UK, Spain and Russia, although the Netherlands has overtaken Russia since the start of the war in the Ukraine. Morocco has now overtaken Spain and the Netherlands as the UK’s main source of tomatoes.