A report has been released on the production and demand for fruit and vegetables in Europe. The report includes projections for apples, peaches and nectarines, oranges and tomatoes. The EU apple production is projected to remain stable, with increasing yields but a smaller area. Health awareness and new varieties that better correspond to consumer preferences should help in the growth of fresh apple consumption.
EU consumption of peaches and nectarines is expected to decline due to a stable production as well as competition from other summer or tropical fruits. Exports should increase, especially for processed peaches, thanks to growing global demand.
EU orange production is projected to slightly grow thanks to yield increases. Consumers are expected to favour fresh oranges and fresh juice over concentrates, leading to a decline of demand for oranges for processing. EU imports should increase to cover the demand gap.
Finally EU production of fresh tomatoes is projected to decline as a result of strong international competition and demand growing for smaller-sized-varieties, resulting in a decline in volume but an increase of value added. Consumption of processed tomatoes should remain stable over the outlook period, with a similar shift towards higher value-added products.
The EU agricultural outlook report for 2020-30 contains all relevant market data, accompanied by an explanation of assumptions, and a description of the macroeconomic environment. The projections and scenarios described in the report will be discussed at the annual EU agricultural conference, taking place online on 16-17 December 2020.