The Framework agreement for the 2024 campaign of industry tomatoes in the South-Central Italian Basin was reached ten days ago. Without prejudice to the contractual autonomy of the parts when signing supply agreements, the parties have established a reference average price of €150/ton for round tomatoes, €160/ton for oblong tomatoes and an increase of €30/ton for organic tomatoes, based on a series of well-defined criteria.
"We will start the by-product campaign in around ten days' time, with volumes that will increase as the various productions reach the right degree of ripening and sweetness. The industry tomato market is in fact demanding larger fruits, higher Brix levels and a deeper red colour," reports Giuseppe Torrente, owner and marketing manager at La Torrente, an Italian company based in Campania working in the processed tomato segment.
"According to what referred by the agricultural sector, volumes will be lower than during the previous campaign despite the acceptable weather and no late frost. Over the years, our producers have in fact guaranteed the high quality of their fruits, obtained also thanks to sorting performed already in the fields upon harvesting. Nonetheless, everything also depends on the weather when it comes to tomatoes too, as the campaign is long and continues until October."
La Torrente is one of the leading canning companies in southern Italy, whose brand identifies a wide range of fully Italian products made using both traditional and organic produce. The assortment features around 80 products including whole tomatoes, peeled tomatoes, puree and tomato fillets, ready-made sauces and a premium line dedicated to top-of-the-range specialized products. Such products are obtained by processing over 10 tomato varieties, including oblong and round ones, yellow ones, San Marzano tomatoes, Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio, corbarino tomatoes, and hill cherry tomatoes.
"The first semester of 2024 has ended well thanks to the promotional activities planned. The objective is to promote our products so as to enter new markets, intercept new consumer trends and also deal with issues concerning the competitiveness of agrifood products in the current scenario. As for tomato by-products, Italy boasts undisputed experience and high-quality compared with other producer countries."
"The product that completes the range is peeled tomatoes. Demand is however growing for purees and ready sauces, which are quicker and more practical. We process around 70 thousand tons of tomatoes on average, with great feedback in some countries of reference such as Japan, Spain, France and Germany. Future projects include a new line of yellow tomato puree in glass jars, which is very much in demand with the high-end pizza and restaurant segment."
85% of the turnover comes from the domestic market. As for exports, the brand can be found in Spain, France, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Sweden, US, Canada, Japan and India. The company boasts the highest international certifications and the facility covers 15,000 sq m, with 4 processing lines and two storage units covering around 80,000 sq m. The projects to be concluded in 2024 include the inauguration of a new 34 thousand sq m facility, 16 thousand of which covered. The objective is to increase production capacity with volumes exceeding 100 thousand tons of processed tomatoes.
For more information:
La Torrente Srl
Via Paludicella, 23
80057 - S. Antonio Abate (NA)
(+39) 081 8796236
[email protected]
www.latorrente.com