Beef tomatoes increasingly less popular in France

Maxime Laclaverie, Head of Marketing at French company Rougeline, says that the beef tomato season "is not great" due to the abundance of produce on the market. The weather has led to a large amount of produce on the market, the Russian embargo has had an effect on the tomato market and prices are low this year.

Rougeline have produced 3,000 tons of beef tomatoes this season. All of Rougeline's tomatoes are grown in France, the beef tomatoes are produced in the South and South West of France. They are packaged in 7kg cases for export all over the country.

Whilst all of Rougeline's beef tomato production remains on the national market, Mr Laclaverie says that they have competition from tomatoes imported from countries such as Holland and Belgium.

France's most popular tomato is the vine tomato, meanwhile, Mr Laclaverie says that beef tomatoes are "less and less popular" as there is currently a preference for coeur-de-boeuf tomatoes. He explains that it is "their shape that attracts the consumer" and that they have "foreseen to produce slightly less beef tomatoes next year".

Photo credits : Rougeline