Start of new season
The start of the French tomato season sees prices similar to those of the previous season, with a slight decrease compared to the fortnightly average. A slight rise in farm-gate volume indicates good crop health coming out of the winter.
According to new details, the greenhouse surface area is in a slight decrease in the South-East, whilst on a rise along the Atlantic coast. Sheltered production is still dominated by vine tomatoes in heated and cold greenhouses.
Marketing
Crop year begins as expected for the season's norms. Despite a lack of sunlight at the beginning of the year, the volume harvested in January and February is up compared to 2013. Greenhouses in the West, from Brittany to Aquitaine via the Pays de la Loire are all ahead of last season. The end of year crops did not suffer from lack of sunlight caused by long periods of rain. The mild temperatures (2-3° above average in January and February) had little impact on the first harvest and allowed less expense on energy. Prices are similar to 2013 and in par with the fortnightly average. Coming out of the winter, the market is almost exclusively supplied by imports from the South (Spain and Morocco strongest). ''Traditional'' varieties such as Beef tomatoes and Black Krim are increasingly popular. Area given to ''festive'' varieties such as cherry and cocktail tomatoes in sheltered crops is expected to grow.
Production and surface area
Vine tomatoes position strengthened by development in cold greenhouses
Greenhouse surface area : 1,950 ha (- 2 %)
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is the only region to see its heated greenhouse surface area drop slightly. Yet concerning cold greenhouses, all of the South East regions have dropped and the Rhône-Alpes have plummeted 20%. Vine tomatoes are slightly increasing in the Pays de la Loire and Languedoc-Roussillon, are stable everywhere else but are decreasing in the PACA region. Vine tomatoes represent 50% of heated greenhouse crops, a slight drop this season that is made up for by a 5% rise in cold greenhouses.
Greenhouse production stable : 557,500 t
Production in 2014 remains the same as 2013. Mild winter weather helped production of vine tomatoes in cold greenhouses, and makes up for the yield drop in heated crops associated with the arrival of new varieties.
High temperatures recorded in the West and South in January and February work in favour for sheltered crops.
Production calendar
Methodology of this report
Reports concerning vegetable environment (surface, production and calendar) are provided according to production areas outlined on the map below. Regions not investigated within an area are estimated according to SAA data (Annual Agricultural statistics). When an area is not investigated, an estimation is provided using the SAA's corrected statistics (corrected based on average development of investigated areas).
The ''Tomato'' survey only applies to fresh tomatoes. It is carried out in 6 regions spread over 4 product areas:
-WEST : Brittany- 39% of national greenhouse production
-CENTRE-WEST: Pays de la Loire- 15% of national greenhouse production
-SOUTH-WEST: Aquitaine region- 9% of national greenhouse production
-SOUTH-EAST: Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur- 31% of national greenhouse production
In 2013 all of these regions represented 94% of fresh French greenhouse tomato production.
