"The hardest time on the tomato market is over. The past few weeks were made more difficult by production being higher than demand", says Peter Parms of Rotom Tomatoes, which is based in Belgium. Truss tomatoes have had a particularly troublesome year. The high temperatures have resulted in inconsistent quality. "Loose tomatoes, especially the large beef varieties, also got off to a slow start. However, demand and prices are on the rise again."
Tom de Winter, Peter Parms and Lieven Coppieters of Rotom at this year's Fruit Logistica
Due to the low demand and large volumes, tomatoes were being sold at dump prices. "Fortunately, demand has increased considerably. Prices have also been climbing since the end of last week. The plants are, however, suffering because they have already borne so much fruit. The programmes that are running ensure that the product has to be delivered. This is creating healthy pressure on the tomato market. This pressure is ensuring that prices are bouncing back", explains Peter.
Overproduction
Rotom has chosen to sell only Belgian tomatoes. "When there is overproduction abroad we constantly get offers to sell overseas products on commission. This is a huge obstacle because we also have no shortages here", continues the exporter.
Specialities
"Good-tasting specialities have been gaining popularity for years. Consumers will, more often, buy cherry tomatoes on the vine rather than a large truss tomato variety. They do this mostly because of the product's taste, convenience, and versatility. The health trend also plays a role here. The small tomatoes are easy to take along. We have also noticed that cherry tomatoes did not fall victim to low prices. Sales were good", concludes Peter.
For more information:
Peter Parms
Rotom Tomatoes
38 Drevendaal
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Tel.: +32 (0) 15 32 38 32