It’s been an okay year for tomatoes, but there were quite a few differences between the various segments. What effects does that have on the market? Peter Geerts of breeder Syngenta talks about the developments they see in the market.
Around 1,800 hectares in the Netherlands and 500 hectares in Belgium. That’s the acreage of tomatoes that were growing in 2015, making the tomato hugely important for the fresh produce sector in both countries. The year hasn’t been bad, but the tomato sector has been under pressure for years. What effects does this have on the acreages? The tomato acreage in the Benelux is rather stable, Peter Geerts estimates. He is crop advisor of the tomato at breeding company Syngenta for Belgium, the UK and the Steenbergen/Breda region in the Netherlands, so he’s well aware of what’s going on in the sector. “Pricing has been good this year, and nobody’s really quitting. Here and there something is added. In Belgium, it’ll be 2 to 3 percent, and in the Netherlands 1 to 2 percent.” More remarkable is the development in illumination: in the Netherlands, the illuminated acreage increased by about 10 percent. That means one in three hectares in Dutch tomato cultivation is illuminated. In Belgium, the illuminated acreage increases by 55 percent: from 55 to 85 hectares. In the Netherlands, half of illumination is vine tomatoes. The other half is filled with more market-focused/specialty tomatoes. It’s no different in Belgium, and the lamps are roughly spread across vine tomatoes (33 percent), beefsteak tomatoes (25 percent), and the rest are specialties that are often grown with a market focus.
Bulk or Specialties?
“Stand out in the market” is something that’s often advised to growers. That’s easier said than done though, Geerts says. “A grower/company, I believe, has to look at themselves and determine where their future is, and invest in this for the long term. There are many examples of people failing when switching to specialties. Reasons for this are short-term decisions, no knowledge of the market, no clients that want to pay a profitable price, so it ends quickly. The result: A number of growers leaves bulk products behind, while others actually specialize in bulk. That’s a good evolution, and a win-win situation for both types of growers.”
Big increase specialties
“Taking everything into account in terms of specialties - from snack tomatoes and vine cherries to coeur de boeufs and colours and shapes - there’s an increase of 20 percent in the Netherlands, and even a 30 percent increase in Belgium for many of these snack varieties. Companies are researching what the market wants, they know their clients and are seeing this market grow. That’s why they’re expanding.” Within specialties, this is mainly about snack tomatoes and vine cherries. The only exception in the segment is the individual cherry tomato. That’s been declining a bit year after year, Geerts notices. “The cherry tomatoes are a bit more sour and the red colour is less intense, and there is strong competition from Morocco.” Snack tomatoes are gaining ground thanks to their typical dented plum shape, sweet flavour and excellent shelf life. “The success is partly thanks to our quality varieties Sweetelle, Angelle and Babeno, which are marketed very well by our strategically chosen growers/traders/marketing associations.”