Tomato planting in several European nations, including France, has encountered delays due to wet spring conditions, potentially affecting the harvest timeline, as per the World Processing Tomato Council (WPTC).
The WPTC's crop update from May 2 indicates that while planting in France's southeast is on track, the southwest has experienced rain-induced delays. Currently, 35% of the area is planted, compared to the usual 40% at this stage, suggesting a possible late harvest start. Despite this, the processing forecast for 2025 remains at 173,000 tons, up from 168,000 tons in 2024.
In Italy, rain has also caused planting delays, but improved weather is expected in May. The WPTC maintains its forecast of 5.6 million tons, slightly above last year's output.
Spain's March rains have pushed some planting back, with production now anticipated to be below the earlier 2.6 million tons forecast, down from 3.1 million tons in 2024.
Portugal, Hungary, and Greece report similar delays, though their production forecasts remain unchanged.
In the southern hemisphere, the processing tomato season is concluding. Australia completed its 2024/25 harvest in mid-April, processing 211,000 tons, up from 208,000 tons the previous year. South Africa expects to process 160,000 tons by the end of its summer production in May, consistent with 2024 figures. Argentina, experiencing favorable weather, projects a processing total of 620,000 tons, a decrease from 660,000 tons in 2024.
Source: Mintec/Expana