WPTC

Nick Kastle elected WPTC President

Sophie Colvine — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:53:46 +0000

The World Processing Tomato Council (WPTC) announced the election of its new leadership team during the closing ceremony of the Monterey congress. Nick Kastle has been named the new President of the WPTC, succeeding Manuel Vazquez, while Antonio Casana has been elected to serve as the organization’s new Vice President. Both industry veterans will lead the council during their upcoming term, driving global collaboration and expansion within the processing tomato sector.

Nick Kastle brings over 20 years of experience in the food and agriculture industry to the presidency. After beginning his career in grocery and food service procurement, he earned his MBA at Saint Mary’s College, where his graduate project introduced him to the processed tomato sector. Kastle subsequently spent ten years with The Morning Star Packing Company, working across industrial paste, food service pouches, and sun-dried tomatoes. In 2017, he joined the J.G. Boswell Company as Vice President of Marketing, where he currently oversees processing tomatoes, pima cotton, and oilseeds.

“I am honored to step into the role of President,” said Nick Kastle upon his election. “Over the years I consider myself blessed to have met such admirable colleagues in this industry. I am looking forward to a productive term and excited to champion the engagement and introduction of the tomato processors in India to the WPTC.“

Joining Kastle in leadership is newly elected Vice President Antonio Casana who graduated in Agricultural Science from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza in 1991, completing his dissertation on tomato genetics. He began his career in Quality Assurance management for tomato and vegetable processing companies before becoming an administrator at Suncan in 1999. Since 2003, Casana has been with Solana SpA, a leading tomato processing firm in Italy, serving initially as General Manager and taking over as CEO in 2013. A widely respected global figure, Casana has also served as a contract professor on Food Technology, is President of AMITOM, President of the vegetable product sector at UIF (Unione Italiana Food), a member of the Board of Directors for ANICAV, and is a past President and current Sustainability Committee President of TomatoEurope.

Kastle and Casana, together with continuing Vice President Manuel Gonçalves are poised to guide the WPTC for the next two years, strengthening ties between established processing regions and emerging global markets.

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The WPTC congress returns to its roots!

Sophie Colvine — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:15:44 +0000

The World Processing Tomato Council (WPTC) dropped a major milestone announcement at the closing ceremony of its successful congress in Monterey: the global tomato community is heading home. In June 2028, the 17th World Processing Tomato Congress and 19th international Symposium on Processing Tomato will return to its birthplace—the legendary Popes Palace in Avignon, France.

This isn’t just another venue choice; it’s a return to the industry’s roots. In November 1989, Avignon hosted the very first World Congress. It was a historic meeting that sparked the creation of both the WPTC and Tomato News. Nearly 40 years later, the global tomato elite will gather in that same outstanding historical setting to chart the future of the industry.

“Returning to Avignon isn’t just a nod to our history; it’s a strategic launchpad for our future,” says Robert Giovinazzo, Director of SONITO. “We are thrilled to welcome the world back to this incredible setting from June 4 to 7, 2028, to drive the next era of global industry growth.“

Save the Date:

What: 17th World Processing Tomato Congress & 19th International Symposium on Processing Tomato

When: June 4–7, 2028

Where: Popes Palace, Avignon, France

Who: The 2028 Congress is spearheaded by SONITO, the inter-professional organization uniting French tomato growers and processors, alongside AMITOM and WPTC.

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WPTC crop update as of 7 June 2026

Sophie Colvine — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 01:10:16 +0000

According to the figures presented during the first day of the WPTC congress in Monterey, it is estimated that 40.1 million tonnes of tomatoes should be processed in 2026, a small decrease of 1% compared the 40.4 million tonnes processed in 2025.

AMITOM

Antonio Casana, AMITOM president, presented the situation in Europe and the Mediterranean region. At 17.6 million tonnes, the total forecast in the AMITOM countries is 4% higher than the 16.9 million tonnes processed in 2025.

AMITOM remains the dominant region at world level with more than 40% of the total world production and with 5 countries in the top ten (Italy, Spain, Turkey, Iran and Portugal). The region’s output show a more stable production compared the world cycle, with an output remarkably stable year to year, varying only between 16 and 17 million tonnes, while world production is far more volatile. Notably, the 2024 world peak (45.9 million tonnes) was driven by non-AMITOM origins, notably China and California, but with different dynamics within members (Italy was with the lowest production output in 2024.

Currently, 3 AMITOM countries are in war situation (Ukraine, Israel, Iran) creating a high uncertainty. Also, increasing input cost for farmers and processors happened after Covid in 2020 and is reshaping the landscape of the industry also in this 2026 crop (fuel, fertilizers, agrochemicals in the fields and gas, electric energy, packaging and transport for processors) are impacting heavily the tomato industry in AMITOM countries. Climate change and water availability are the main challenges for most of the countries that in the last 5 year faced very different and opposite situation in many different countries.

EU policy & international trade agreements also have an effect, with the tightening of EU rules (ETS/CBAM carbon costs, PPWR packaging compliance, CAP reform, NGT framework) raising costs and reshaping competitiveness, while trade developments — the EU–Mercosur agreement and an unfavourable US tariff environment — open some markets but expose AMITOM producers to greater external competition.

North America

Aaron Giampietro from Morning Star presented production in North America which remains dominated by California. With about 9 million tonnes expected in 2026, the state represents 90% of the total volume processed in the USA and Canada, with 912,000 tonnes in the Midwest region and 62,000 tonnes in the Northeast region.

In the Northeast region, two main companies, Furmano Foods (Northumberland, PA) and Violet Foods (Williamstown, NJ) should process about 62,000 tonnes.

In the Midwest, Red Gold, Inc. (Elwood, IN) and Hirzel Canning Co. (Northwood, OH) should process 393,000 tonnes, while Highburry Canco (Leamington, ON), Sun-Brite Foods (Ruthven, ON) and Conagra Brands Canada (Dresden, ON) should together process the total of 519,000 tonnes for Ontario.

In California, the approximately 9 million tonnes estimate represents a 15% reduction compared wit the volume of over 10.5 million tonnes processed in 2025. While 2025 high production was largely a result of record yields, surfaces have been reduced in 2026. California’s forecasted production is based on an assumed average yield of 120 tonnes per Hectare. By historical standards, this is aggressive, however, 2025 performance shows it is definitively achievable.

Planting activities and crop development look to be on track. Although California has experienced some unseasonal weather, so far, any negative impacts are expected to be limited. California is expecting to begin some processing by the second week of July and the state is expected to be operating at full capacity by early August.

South America and Rest of the World

Manuel Gonçalves, WPTC Vice-President, presented production in eight countries in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru) and the rest of the world (Argentina, Japan, Nigeria and South Africa). These have altogether increased production over the last 10 years and represent 8-10% of the world production. However, if we look long term we notice a 28% increase until 2024 and strong (responsible) adjustment from 2024 to 2026, with volumes for 2026/27 flat-to-slightly-lower.

South America remains the dominant region, with Brazil (1.46 million tonnes expected in 2026), Chile (approximately 1.3 million tonnes processed in the season just finished) and Argentina (approximately 400.000 tonnes processed) accounting for the bulk of processed tomato volume, followed by Australia (161,000 tonnes), Peu (150,000 tonnes) and South Africa (130,000 tonnes expected), with a small production in Japan (24,000 tonnes expected) and in new WPTC member Nigeria (about one thousand tonnes).

Climate volatility (El Niño, drought, flooding, heatwaves) is the single most consistent risk across all countries, affecting yields, quality and planning certainty. Water availability is the critical variable to watch, with Australia, Chile and South Africa all flagging water as a top risk for the next season. Rising input costs — energy, packaging, fertilizer, transport — are squeezing margins at both farm and factory level everywhere, while on the markets, consumer behavior shifts (weight-loss trends in Brazil, social media-driven import preference in Australia, health-driven growth in Japan) are reshaping demand patterns in unexpected ways.

China

According to Zhu Chenhui from COFCO Tunhe who presented remotely from Beijing, the total volume expectation in China is currently about 5.85 million tonnes, but this figure may change with future weather conditions. This is 19% more than the 4.9 million tonnes processed in 2025, but nearly 80% less than in 2024 (10.45 million tonnes).

As of June 1, the transplanting work in China has been completed. The planting area in China is about 50 thousand hectares, an increase of 15% compared to 2025. Including 31.3 thousand hectares in Northern Xinjiang, 9.5 thousand hectares in Southern Xinjiang, 8.5 thousand hectares in Inner Mongolia, and 0.7 thousand hectares in Gansu-Ningxia.

In late April and early May, parts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia were struck by hail and sandstorms, which impacted the early transplanting of tomato seedlings, but not significantly. According to the annual weather forecast, Growing chances of El Niño may result in extreme weather. Very high temperatures may negatively impact blossom and fruit set.

It is expected that 87 factories will be operating during the season, 5 more compared to 2025, equivalent to the 2022 level. The daily capacity is 225.000 tonnes, an increase of 20.000 tonnes compared to 2025, up by 10%.

The contract price of fresh in China is USD 70/MT, up by USD 3 per MT, a 5% increased compared with 2025. Other costs have increased by more than 10% compared with 2025. Ocean freight rose by 174% for the Persian Gulf route, 15% for the Mediterranean route. Pallets went up by 13%, aseptic bags by 5% and steel drums by 5%.

The consumption of processed tomatoes in China is estimated at 1.7 million tonnes fresh for 2026, about 28% of total production volume, more than 10% up compared to last year. According to data from Hongcan Big Data, the market size of the hot pot industry reached 639 billion yuan in 2025 and is expected to hit 670 billion yuan in 2026. The sour soup with tomato has emerged as a fast-growing segment in recent years. It reached 14.5 billion yuan in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 16%, and is projected to reach 16 billion yuan in 2026.

The market size of Western cuisine in China reached 328 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%. The total number of restaurants stood at 325,000, rising by 6.6% year on year.

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WPTC crop update as of 27 May 2026

Sophie Colvine — Sun, 31 May 2026 07:44:08 +0000

Amitom countries

Bulgaria

The low temperatures during the first two weeks in May have delayed plant growth.

Egypt

It is currently the transition period with the harvest of the summer crop due to start in the first week of June. There is currently no change in the forecast but hopefully temperatures will not get too high. There is currently some pressure on fertilisers and other costs including transports so growers may start asking processors for increases in prices.

France

Planting is expected to be completed by the end of next week. The heatwave is putting the final stages of planting under considerable strain but, so far, there have not been any reports of problems. The total surface is expected to be below 2,000 hectares, compared with 2,422 hectares in 2025.

Greece

The situation is normal with a good weather apart from some localised storms or hailstorms in May but with no serious effect. Temperatures are currently only about 2°C above normal so there is no serious heatwave as there is in other countries. There is a slight delay in the South, but it could be an early crop in the Centre.

Hungary

The planting took place between the beginning of May and May 21st, and was completed on time. The quality and yield of the seedlings were good, so the surface was planted according to the plans. In recent weeks there have been unusually many weather effects: at the beginning of the month there was still frost, then within a few days a heat wave, and finally 50-60 mm of precipitation arrived after two months dry period. Seedling growth varies depending on conditions, but is typically fine.

Iran

No data

Israel

No data

Italy

In the North, already about 80% of the surfaces have been planted and operations should be finished during the second week in June. The weather was cold with rains until 15 May but currently temperatures are 8 to 10 °C higher than normal with 34-35°C which is completely unusual. Consequently, transplanting operations are stopping in the central part of the day. The situation is actually quite smooth with no major issue, and we will see if the heat has any incidence. There is no change in the forecast.

In the Centre and South, it is also currently very hot. Transplanting is going well despite delays in the northern zones in Puglia and Molise due to the rains in early May, which however had the advantage of filling the reservoirs. Negotiations with growers are continuing but a meeting in Foggia this week did not enable to reach an agreement as OPs argue that higher costs of energy, fertilisers and other inputs should lead to a price no lower than last year, while processors would like to see a reduction as was agreed in the north. As usual processors are ready to pay a higher price consequently to the harvest in small bins. It is more expensive for farmers and for processors, but ensures a better quality. It is probable that surfaces will increase in the south, and thus possibly volumes although yields are uncertain based on the issues of the last few years.

Portugal

The weather changed a few days ago when temperatures rose from a low 21-22°C to about 30°C now but they should go back to a reasonable 28°C in a couple of days. About 95% of the surfaces have now been planted and all should be done by the end of the week. There is no change in the forecast.

Spain

Transplanting operations have been finished both in Extremadura and Andalusia and plant development has been good to date. Since last Friday temperatures have risen sharply to 35°C or up 40°C . There are no significant impacts reported on the crop to date, but the heat could last for another ten days. Final surfaces will be confirmed by mid-June and to date the forecast remains unchanged at 2.75 million tonnes.

Tunisia

The planted area covered 14,340 hectares as of 5 May. A delay in transplanting the seedlings has been observed following rains during planting. The start of the season is scheduled for late June 2026. Processing estimates for this year are around 800,000 to 900,000 tonnes, with carry-over stocks of paste of between 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes.

Turkiye

There is no significant update. The planting has been interrupted by rainfall throughout the period. The weather has only recently started to reach seasonal normals. This is expected to add a delay to an already late crop. The forecast remains the same.

Ukraine

Conditions are good and the forecast remains 550,000 tonnes.

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WPTC crop update as of 1 May 2026

Sophie Colvine — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:28:05 +0000

Amitom countries

Bulgaria

Conditions have been good to date and planting should finish next week. There is no change to the forecast. The cost of energy is worrying the industry.

Egypt

The winter crop was finished in the first week of April, and now we are in transition period till the start of summer crop which expected to be by end of May/beginning of June. The forecast remains the same so far.Conditions have been good to date and planting should finish next week. There is no change to the forecast. The cost of energy is worrying the industry.

France

Conditions are good although temperatures are higher than normal. About 50% of the total surfaces have been planted to date.

Greece

Conditions so far have been very good and about 60% of the surfaces have been planted in the Centre and 65% in the South. Some rains are expected for the weekend and could slow down plantings. Farmers should not be affected by the rise in costs of fertilizer for this season as most had been bought before the start of the conflict. The average price for the season is about 115 euros per tonne delivered, with variations for quality and between factories as there is no industry-wide agreement.

Hungary

Transplanting will begin at the weekend. Due to the drought, there will be pre-irrigation in most places. Yearly forecast remains unchanged.

Iran

Due to the internet shutdown in Iran, it is currently very difficult to obtain reliable real-time crop updates from the country. Iran is still temporarily holding the ban on the export of tomatoes and tomato-based products under the current circumstances. Overall, not much has changed since the last update.

Israel

Italy

In the North, the framework agreement on price was reached at the end of March with an average price of 137 euros per tonne ex field including premiums for late varieties and variations based on quality parameters. Contracts were all signed by 20 April and the contracted surfaces will be available at the end of April while the effective surfaces will be available at the end of June. Planting started in early April and should finish around 10-15 June. To date about 35% of the surfaces have been planted, which is normal. The weather is good and the plants are developing well. In the Centre and South, the good news is that following heavy rains the Occhito dam is full at more than 200 million m3 for the first time in three years so there will be no issue with irrigation in Puglia this year. Transplanting was delayed but plants are developing well. All is going well in the other areas. Prices have not yet been agreed: the war has increased costs of energy and fertilizers making negotiations difficult. Another meeting is planned next week. Current forecasts remain unchanged at 2.8 million tonnes for the South and 3 million for the North.

Portugal

Planting started two weeks late due to the wet winter but has been progressing well and 51% of the surfaces were expected to be planted at the end of this week. The weather has been quite good in the last four weeks but rain today could interrupt planting for a day or two. There are some concerns over fertilizers but it should be fine for this season.

Serbia

Transplanting started on 17 April and to date 115 ha, which is 15% of total surface planned in Serbia, have been planted. The weather is rather good with temperatures between 16°C and 23°C, but some days morning are chilly at around 5˚C, so plants are not growing. Nice warm weather is expected after the 1st of May. The forecast remains the same.

Spain

Planting operations have been running smoothly and on time in all regions as after a rainy winter the spring has been dry so far. In Extremadura about 60% of the surfaces have been planted to date, but rain is expected this week and may interrupt the activities for a day or two. In Andalusia planting should finish in about a week. No change in the forecast.

Turkey

There is no major changes from last meeting. Planting down south is now past half-way and it started this week in the Bursa area. It has been a wet April but the weather is clear and dry with a drop in temperatures for 2-3 days this week. We are still expecting a late crop and there is the possibility of an increase in surface area with late planting however it is still too early to say. Fertilisers are not expecting to have an effect on the contract prices but transport cost may be affected in the season if the conflict effects carry on.

Ukraine

Transplanting was delayed by frost but started today.

Other WPTC countries in the Northern Hemisphere

California

The next NASS/USDA estimate should be released towards the end of May at that time we will adjust the projected acreage and tonnage accordingly. At this time there is not any major changes anticipated. Overall planting has gone well this year. We experienced excellent weather in March with above average temperature. In April, we have seen a more traditional weather pattern with cooler temperatures and more precipitation. This has delayed plantings slightly but should not impact the overall crop timing at this point.

Japan

There is no change from the last report. In the Kanto and parts of the Chubu regions, planting is expected to be almost complete by the end of April.

Other WPTC countries in the Southern Hemisphere

Australia

For the 2025/26 season, we recorded a total tonnage of 161,000 tonnes. Several regions experienced challenging wet conditions during the harvest, which resulted in some tomatoes remaining unharvested. Looking ahead, our forecast for the 2026/27 season is currently set at 140,000 tonnes, however this is an early estimate and may change as the new season approaches.

Brazil

No changes for the time being as we won’t be able to gauge the impact of the early rains until the end of May.

Chile

Following heavy rains mid April the final volume is expected to be reduced to about 1.2 million tonnes, although it is difficult to confirm a number at this time. Factories are trying to finalize production next week. Patagonia and Sugal should close this weekend while Agrozzi will process maybe until 8 May.

Peru

The harvest ended in February 2026, and 150,000 tonnes of tomatoes were processed. For the 2026/27 season, we project maintaining the same acreage and production (150,000 tonnes), which could be affected by the climatic impact of El Niño, but it is still too early to make more precise projections.

South Africa

The summer production areas in the Western Cape concluded in time on target, just before the Mediterranean winter rainfall could affect the crop. In the winter production areas, the transplanting finished by end April and winter harvesting should be in full swing from May’ 26 onwards to end Sep’26. Currently 30% of the South African harvest is already processed and the deliveries are on schedule and water availability should not be a concern this winter season in the northern regions. Thus the total forecast remains unchanged at 130,000 tonnes for the 2026 season.

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WPTC crop update as of 30 March 2026

Sophie Colvine — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:46:55 +0000

Amitom countries

Bulgaria

Due to the rise of energy and fertiliser prices (+40%) and the planned refurbishment of the largest factory Balkan , the volume processed in 2026 should see a 50% reduction to 20,000 tonnes. The weather is currently a bit wet, but it should not be an issue to start planting towards the end of April as planned.

Egypt

The forecast remains the same at 800,000 tonnes.

France

The forecast is still uncertain as price and volume negotiations are still ongoing but expected to reduce to 150,000 tonnes probably with a reduction of conventional surfaces, while organics should increase, for a total of less than 2,000 hectares. The weather is not good as there have been a lot of rains throughout the winter and fields are still wet. Transplanting should have started this week but may be delayed to next week as it is currently windy and cold.

Greece

The weather is nice and fields have been prepared for planting which should start this week in the South and next week in the Centre. The main worry is the effect of the war on energy and fertiliser prices despite some government assistance. The forecast remans 450,000 tonnes. Prices have been made public and average about 115 euros/tonne delivered, with some variations.

Hungary

The current forecast is still circa 70,000 tonnes. The plantings in the nurseries started last week.

Iran

There is currently a high level of uncertainty and communication is difficult. Iran has temporarily banned the export of tomatoes and tomato-based products under the current circumstances. More information will be sent when available.

Italy

The situation in Northern Italy is favourable in terms of overall water availability (we had a rainy winter) and also regarding soil preparation. The forecast is maintained at the level issued in February (3 million tonnes).

The negotiation of volumes and economic conditions between processors and growers’ associations experienced a series of delays and difficulties due to changed energy cost conditions (which affect not only the fuels used for farming operations but also cultivation costs such as technical inputs including nitrogen fertilizers). The negotiations finally closed on Friday 27 March with an average reference price of €137/ton ex-field, including premiums for late delivery and for services.

In Centre-South Italy, the situation is better than last year, the water availability is fine in several areas, but while the Occhito dam is in a better situation, it is not enough.

As usual, the processors and growers’ associations were waiting for the North to set their price and only after they will start negotiations.

The international situation with the blockade of Hormuz is creating many concerns about the consequences for the costs of diesel and fertilizers, and this will not help negotiations.

The forecast is updated to 2,8 million tonnes, so the total expectation for Italy is now 5.8 million tonnes.

Portugal

Portugal was affected by several storms which resulted in floods in all the tomato growing area. The borders of some fields by the river Tagus were damaged which means water flooded land. At the moment we are having good Spring weather which will help for drying some areas still with water. The start of transplant is planned for the 6th of April. Therefore, for the time being we keep the estimation for 1.3 million tonnes. Prices for the season are about 106-107 euros per tonnes ex field as reported in the press.

Serbia

So far, the season has been good, and expectations are for 57,000 tonnes to be processed if yields of about 90 t/ha are reached like last year.

Spain

The winter has been good in terms of rain and reservoirs in Andalusia and Extremadura are full which should ensure a good water supply for the next four years. The weather is now good and planting started last week in Andalusia and will next week in Extremadura. Prices have been agreed at about 107 euros/tonne ex field or 115 euros/tonne delivered but some farmers are now asking for an increase due to the rising costs of energy and fertilisers. The forecast is raised to 2.75 million tonnes.

Tunisia

At this stage, we do not yet have any processing forecasts for the current season. The only data currently available relates to the planned area under cultivation, estimated at around 15,300 hectares.

Turkey

From the information gathered surfaces may be slightly reduced in the South and stable or slightly increased in the Bursa area. The weather has been wet last week, and more rain is expected next week so planting il be a bit later than usual. There are still stocks of products, mainly canned paste and exports are reduced due to unfavourable exchange rate. The production is expected to be between 2.4 and 2.5 million tonnes. There are no public figures on prices, but contracts are currently about 525 TRL delivered, equivalent to 100 euros, although famers are requesting increased following rising costs, or they may reduce the fertiliser use, which may impact yields.

Ukraine

Fields are ready, growing in nurseries started in time, transplanting is scheduled for the end of April. Fertilisers are available, but prices are way from reasonable, and energy price s are also up. The forecast will likely be reduced in May depending on the real situation on the ground. The battle line remains the same as a year ago.

Other WPTC countries in the Northern Hemisphere

California

Planting for the early part of the crop began in February and the weather provided ideal conditions. As we moved into March, we have seen warmer than normal temperatures which has been very good for plant growth for fields already planted. The warmer temperatures also have resulted in some minor pauses in planting and at this point it shouldn’t be an issue. The precipitation received for this year has not been what we had hoped earlier in the winter. This will result in lower water allocations in some areas of the state. Due to the reduction in acres for this season, the lower allocations will not impact acreage for this season.

Price negotiations continue at this point.

Canada

Preliminary contract intentions for 2026 are 586,000 short tons (532,000 metric tonnes). The past few weeks have seen typical early‑spring weather, including fluctuating cold‑to‑mild temperatures, overcast conditions, intermittent rainfall, and occasional wet snow, with several nights falling below freezing. Planting is set to begin in early to mid May.

China

As of the end of March, the planted area of processed tomatoes is about 50,670 hectares. It is estimated that the volume processed will be 5.92 million tonnes. The downward revision is primarily attributable to farmers’ cautious outlook for market and low planting enthusiasm.

Japan

Planting will begin in stages from the end of March, starting in Tokai region. There is no change to the forecast of 400 hectares to be planted for a volume to be processed of 24,000 tonnes.

Other WPTC countries in the Southern Hemisphere

Argentina

Argentina’s processing tomato crop for the 2026 season is currently at approximately 75% harvested area, with the campaign entering week 13 of harvest. The planted area is estimated at 5,120 hectares, and under normal yield conditions—aligned with multi-year averages—total production is projected at around 425,000 tonnes.

Yield expectations remain strong and stable, supported by the high performance observed within the Tomate 2000 program, which has helped offset the impact of recent hail events. Current yields are tracking 10–15% above last season, confirming a sustained improvement compared to 2025. Overall crop condition remains good, and fruit quality has been very satisfactory so far.

Weather conditions have remained broadly consistent throughout the season, characterized by warm, dry, and windy conditions with generally low rainfall. However, in mid-January, a severe hailstorm impacted an unusually large area in Villa Aberastain (San Juan), affecting approximately 400 hectares, with damage ranging from light to very severe.

Harvest activities began in mid-December and have progressed steadily. While some advancement was observed around weeks 5 and 8, operations have since normalized. The campaign is progressing in line with expectations and is projected to conclude by late April, depending on industrial scheduling and remaining field conditions.

Within the Tomate 2000 program, which represents a significant share of the national crop, the current situation shows a slightly more advanced stage, with 76% of the adjusted surface already harvested (2,160 ha out of 2,842 ha). Estimated total production within the program stands at approximately 293,228 tonnes, of which 229,535 tonnes have already been harvested, leaving around 63,700 tonnes still to be collected.

The average yield of harvested fields within the program is currently estimated at 106 t/ha, confirming the strong productive performance observed this season.

The Tomate 2000 program continues to increase its share within national production, currently accounting for approximately 68–69% of total estimated output. This growing participation is primarily driven by the excellent performance of its supervised area, where higher and more stable yields have consistently outperformed the national average. As a result, the program is playing an increasingly central role in supporting overall production levels in Argentina.

A clear regional dynamic is observed within the program. In San Juan, the crop is significantly more advanced, with 86% of the surface already harvested and only 14% remaining, reflecting its role as an early production zone. Notably, harvested yields have been exceptional, reaching approximately 111 t/ha, confirming the strong performance of the region this season.

In contrast, Mendoza, due to its cooler conditions, represents a later production area, with 54% harvested and 46% still pending, concentrating a significant share of the remaining harvest. Despite this later development, harvested yields have also been very strong, averaging around 91 t/ha, highlighting a solid productive performance under more challenging thermal conditions.

Australia

Harvest is nearing completion across the nation, but progress has been hampered by widespread rainfall. The combined intake stands at approximately 138,000 tonnes with total production now expected to reach around 157,000 tonnes. This is a decrease from earlier forecasts. Operations are expected to conclude shortly after Easter.

Brazil

The current forecast is 1.467 million tonnes from 15,150 hectares.

The conflict in Iran will have likely impacts on the fertilizer market, especially nitrogen fertilizers, according to a Rabobank study (2025). According to the study, approximately 45% of global urea exports transit through routes associated with the Persian Gulf, in addition to 25% of ammonia, 20% DAP, 10% MAP, and almost 30% of global sulfur circulating through these maritime routes. Diesel has already risen 60% in one week in the agricultural market.

Chile

There have been heavy rains in different tomato areas around mid-March, with more than 100 mm over 24h in some places on 16 March. Last week, all factories were working, but with lower volumes. It is too early to assess the full impact the rain may have, and the forecast is kept at 1.3 million tonnes.

South Africa

South Africa experiences dry heat wave conditions in the summer production areas. Already 75% of the summer crop has been delivered, with an average of 5.8 brix, and the summer processing season should end in late April. Currently 25% of the total South African volumes were processed at due date.

In the Northern winter production areas of Limpopo, flooding conditions are experienced, and transplanting should end in April. Winter deliveries are scheduled from April to end September.

L’article WPTC crop update as of 30 March 2026 est apparu en premier sur WPTC.

WPTC crop update as of 5 March 2026

Sophie Colvine — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:33:11 +0000

The 2026 harvest is underway in WPTC member countries in the southern hemisphere, with no major changes in the forecast.

WPTC countries in the Southern Hemisphere

Argentina

The planted area for the 2026 processing tomato crop is estimated at 5,120 hectares. Under normal yield conditions—consistent with the multi-year average—total production is projected at approximately 427,894 tonnes.

Yields are currently tracking 10–15% higher than last season, reflecting a sustained improvement versus 2025. Crop condition remains strong, and fruit quality has been very good so far.

Weather conditions have remained broadly unchanged: warm, dry, and windy, with generally low rainfall. In mid-January, however, a hailstorm hit an unusually affected area (Villa Aberastain in San Juan), impacting an estimated ~400 hectares with damage ranging from light to very severe.

Harvest began in mid-December and is now entering week 10. Some harvesting was slightly advanced around weeks 5 and 8, but operations have since returned to a normal schedule. To date, approximately 65% of the harvest has been completed, and the campaign continues toward the planned late-April finish, depending on industry programming and remaining field conditions.

Australia

The harvest commenced on January 26th and progressed well throughout February.

So far, a total of 79,000 tonnes have been delivered. However, sustained and significant rainfall across the entire growing region over the weekend has interrupted field operations. Harvest will not resume until conditions improve and the fields have sufficiently dried down.

Chile

To date, the harvest continues without problems. The estimated harvest progress is 40 to 45% of the total estimated. The weather has been warm with no significant rainfall that could affect quality or volume; therefore, we maintain our previous yield estimate of 1.3 million tonnes.

The estimated harvest completion date remains the last week of April.

Peru

The 2025/26 harvest finished a few days ago and the raw tomatoes produced during this campaign was 150,000 tonnes.

L’article WPTC crop update as of 5 March 2026 est apparu en premier sur WPTC.

WPTC crop update as of 4 February 2026

Sophie Colvine — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:21:00 +0000

During their board meeting on 4 February, WPTC members shared their forecasts for the coming processing season: with a total of 40.75 million metric tonnes, the current expectation for the volume of tomatoes to be processed globally in 2026 are les than 1% higher than 2025’s final production of 40.43 million tonnes.

Amitom countries

Bulgaria

The current forecast is 40,000 tonnes.

Egypt

Currently the winter crop is getting processed, and quality looks promising . It should last until mid-April. Meanwhile transplanting of summer crop is about to start in February and will last until May, with harvesting scheduled from Mid-May till September. The initial forecast for 2026 remains 800,000 tonnes.

France

lt is too early to have a precise number but it is expected that production in 2026 will be reduced due to high stocks and the current expectation is for 150,000 to 160,000 tonnes to be processed, with a 10 to 15% reduction of surfaces planted.

Greece

A reduction of the volume to about 450,000 tonnes is expected.

Hungary

The yearly target and forecast is 70.000 tonnes, of which 40,000 tonnes for Univer.

Iran

There is currently a high level of uncertainty in Iran due to ongoing tensions between Iran and the US and concerns about potential escalation. The market is very quiet, and there is limited information available, as no one is certain about how the situation will develop. At this stage, our indication for the 2026 crop is approximately 1.7 million tonnes. As we get closer to the harvest period and more reliable information becomes available, this will be updated.

Italy

Negotiations have started in the North but not yet in the South. The current processors’ intentions are for a total volume of 5.7 million tonnes with 3 million tonnes in the North, of which 200,000 tonnes organics, and 2.7 million tonnes in the Centre-South. Quantities are similar to last year. Following two years of bad crop especially in 2024, companies do not have high stocks and the situation is balanced.
There is no issue with water in the North but there are still concerns with water availability in the Puglia region due to the low level of the Occhito dam, although farmers can overcome the issue like last year by moving production to zones where water is available. Other competitive crop, notably cereals, offer low prices, so farmers are keen to plant tomatoes.

Portugal

There is still a lot of uncertainties, as negotiations with growers are ongoing. At the moment it is difficult to give a production estimate so last year’s initial forecast of 1.4 million tonnes is used. More clarity will be obtained in the next week or so as all contracts must be signed by 16 February.

Serbia

The expectations for 2026 are for a total of 52,000 tonnes, of which 45,000 tonnes for Polimark.

Spain

The situation is not very clear. The discussions with farmers on price started this week and there is no clarity yet on the surfaces which will be contracted. A very preliminary estimate would be 2.6 million tonnes based on similar hectares planted than last year, but yields were very low last year. There is no issue with water in Andalusia this year, while in Extremadura the concern is more that there is too much water and fields are saturated or even flooded at the moment with the forecast for more rains during the next ten days.

Tunisia

Initial estimates of the area planted with seasonal tomatoes are around 15,000 hectares. With regard to processing forecasts, meetings with the various stakeholders are scheduled from mid-February onwards to discuss this issue.

Turkey

In 2025, production amounted to 2,200,000 tonnes. The main reason for this low production is the reduction in planting areas due to low contract prices. If farmers’ price expectation is met in 2026, production could reach 2,500,000 to 2,600,000 tonnes. Moreover, the prices of competing products (such as cotton and corn) are also low, so producers will remain focused on tomato planting.

Ukraine

The current forecast is 550,000 tonnes.

Other WPTC countries in the Northern Hemisphere

California

According to the 2O26 California Processing Report released on 23 January the current estimate is 9.8 million short tons (8.89 million metric tonnes) from 185,000 acres. This is based on an average yield of 53 t/acre which is a level only reached last year so there is uncertainty that this volume will be attained. Surfaces should reduce by 10%, maybe even further. Weather and water availability are good so far.

Canada

Preliminary contract indications are for approximately 595,000 shorts tons (540,000 metric tonnes) in 2026 following a very good year in 2025 which saw the biggest harvest in recent years.

China

Crop Forecast for 2026 is 7 million tonnes of fresh tomatoes.

Japan

It is expected that 400 hectares will be planted for a production of 24,000 tonnes.

Nigeria

The forecast is to process 1,200 tonnes in 2026.

Other WPTC countries in the Southern Hemisphere

Argentina

The initial forecast was 427,894 tonnes from the 5,120 hectares planted but hailstorms last week damaged about 320 hectares. It is too early to precisely evaluate the losses but reasonable to reduce the forecast to 400,000 tonnes. There was a huge season in 2025 at about 600,000 tonnes so there is a major reduction in volume this year.

Australia

The production forecast remains 166,000 tonnes from about 1,500 ha planted, which is a reduction of about 500 ha from what is normally planted. Market forces are reducing the production level. Harvest started on the 26th of January and is processing has begun at Kagome. SPC are likely to start processing in about 2 weeks’ time. We have experienced back-to-back heat waves in January (a heat wave here being temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius recorded over successive days), with a long stretch of approximately a week when temperatures ranged between 4O and 45 °C. Luckily it did not rain but there have been some field leakage and some low brix low to mid 4s. Overall crop condition have now improved with brix at about 5.2-5.3 and yields do not seem to have been affected. Hopefully there will be no effect of the heatwave on the late crop which could reduce in a volume reduction. Time will tell but plants for the late crop look good for now.

Brazil

The current forecast is just over 1.5 million tonnes, The surveys indicate a further decrease in planted area and a trend towards a slightly higher volume than in 2025. It is believed that these numbers will change until March, which is when transplanting will be taking place in all regions of the country.

Chile

The first factories opened two weeks ago with the others starting this week. Weather conditions are normal, with warm weather. The only concern is how much the broomrape infestation will affect the yields. These are currently estimated at 95 to 100 t/ha, and the forecast remains unchanged at 1.3 million tonnes.

Peru

The program remains unchanged and production should finish at 150,000 tonnes.

South Africa

It is still early days with production starting this month in the Western Cape region where it is currently very dry. The total forecast remains 130,000 tonnes for the 2026 season.

L’article WPTC crop update as of 4 February 2026 est apparu en premier sur WPTC.

Nigeria joins WPTC

Sophie Colvine — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:40:12 +0000

During its annual meeting on 4 February 2026, WPTC welcomed the National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) as a new member.

Mira Mehta, CEO of Tomato Jos, will be the NATPAN Delegate on the board of WPTC.

L’article Nigeria joins WPTC est apparu en premier sur WPTC.

WPTC crop update as of 16 January 2026

Sophie Colvine — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:03:25 +0000

Conditions are good in all the WPTC southern hemisphere countries where the harvest is ongoing or about to start with no major changes in forecast compared with pre-season estimates.

WPTC countries in the Southern Hemisphere

Argentina

The planted area in Argentina for the 2026 processing tomato harvest is estimated at 5,120 hectares. Under normal yield conditions, in line with the average of recent years, total production is projected at approximately 427,894 tonnes.
However, yields are likely to be closer to those achieved in the 2025 season, which recorded record yields in early and mid-season tomatoes. This outlook is supported by the fact that the most efficient producers are active this season, crops are generally in very good condition, and weather conditions have been mostly favourable.
The current season has been characterized by hot, dry, and windy conditions, with a very low incidence of hail so far. The preceding winter was mild, resulting in increased pest pressure from the beginning of the season. Spring conditions were generally normal, although strong winds complicated transplanting operations. Summer has been hot and dry, with limited rainfall and low hail incidence, which has accelerated pest cycles but at the same time improved fruit quality due to reduced disease pressure and lower weather-related damage.
Harvest began in mid-December and, according to industry planning, is expected to continue until late April. A slight advancement of harvest has been observed in fields harvested during weeks 2, 3, and 4.

Australia

A total of 1,476 ha has been planted with a combined production forecast of approximately 166,000 tonnes.
Harvest is expected to commence soon, with the early cultivars starting around 28 January. The season began with unusually cool and windy conditions, slowing early crop development. Temperatures increased to above-average levels after Christmas, with wind remaining a persistent factor.
Overall crop condition is generally good at this stage, and current volume forecasts remain achievable.

Brazil

No new data

Chile

The forecast remains unchanged compared with what was expected last October with 14,000 hectares planted with a potential yield of 100 tonnes per ha.
The harvest will start at the end of next week in the northern area near Santiago and most of the factories will start on first week of February.
The weather is hot and dry, perfect for tomato ripeness with around 30 to 35 °Celsius during the day and 15 to19 °Celsius at night.
The Chilean exports reached a good volume in 2025 with 221,000 tonnes compared with 174,000 tonnes in 2024.

Peru

The forecast remains 150,000 tonnes from 1,045 ha. Harvesting started in October and the season has been good so far.

South Africa

South Africa planned a contracted harvest of 130,000 tonnes for the 2026 season.
A 40,000 metric tonne summer crop is scheduled in the Western Cape area where deliveries were programmed to start on 15 January.
A 90,000 tonne winter crop is expected in the Limpopo area.
This gives South Africa an advantage of a 9 month production season and currently all planning is on schedule.

L’article WPTC crop update as of 16 January 2026 est apparu en premier sur WPTC.