Morocco has overtaken the Netherlands and Spain as the leading supplier of tomatoes to the UK. Also, Morocco has become the second-largest supplier of tomatoes to the EU, surpassing Italy. Experts suspect that the Netherlands will regain its production capacity and level of competitiveness next season. Regarding the survival of the Spanish sector, they claim the goal should not be to produce more but to produce better.
Agroberichtenbuitenland.nl reports that to produce better in order to ensure profitability and customer loyalty. Spain’s growers advocate taking advantage of their proximity and reliability by signing agreements with plant breeders, marketing companies, and retailers to sell products on an exclusive basis and put an end to market segmentation.
One destination that was traditionally one of the most important for Spanish tomatoes, the United Kingdom, has been losing steam. At present, Morocco has become the leader in tomato sales to the UK, even ahead of the Netherlands, the largest exporter so far.
According to the latest data, Morocco exported to the UK 82,499 tons up to July 2022, while the Netherlands 77,444 and Spain 41,231. The journalist contrasts these figures with the data recorded in 2017: Morocco exported 49,312 tons of tomatoes to the UK, 175,924 Netherlands, and 111,319 Spain.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl