2024 Tomato Harvest: A Challenging Year for Italian Agriculture

The 2024 tomato harvest has proven to be one of the most challenging in recent years for Italian producers, particularly in Northern Italy. On Wednesday, September 4th, an important meeting took place at the Parma headquarters between members of the OI of the industrial tomato of Northern Italy and regional Agricultural Councillor Alessio Mammi. Led by Tiberio Rabboni, the organization’s president, the gathering provided a platform to review the ongoing tomato harvest and discuss the difficulties encountered so far.

The numbers presented during the meeting paint a stark picture. As of the first week of September, the harvest yield stands at just over 50% of the five-year average. Farmers are struggling with yields averaging only 60 tons per hectare, compared to the 74 tons per hectare registered during the same period over the last five years. These low yields are causing severe difficulties for both agricultural producers and food processors, who face challenges optimizing their operations due to the limited quantities of tomatoes arriving at factories.

Weather-Related Challenges

Several weather-related issues contributed to the lower-than-expected results. Persistent rainfall in May delayed the transplantation of tomato plants, pushing many into June and extending the harvest season through September. June brought additional challenges with unstable weather, exposing plants to disease, while the intense heat in July and August further stunted their growth.

Despite these hurdles, one positive outcome was noted: the high quality of the tomatoes harvested. The Brix level, which measures acidity, reached a record 5.12, a notable achievement for producers in Northern Italy. However, even this high-quality yield cannot fully offset the financial strain on farmers who have faced rising costs to protect their crops from disease, alongside decreased revenues due to lower production volumes.

The reduced harvest is having a direct impact on Italy’s tomato processing industry. With fewer tomatoes available, processors cannot run their facilities at full capacity, leading to higher operational costs. As the season progresses, hopes for recovery now rest on stable weather conditions, which have proven unpredictable in recent years.

2024 San Marzano Campaign: High Quality but Limited Growth

In addition to the challenges faced by Northern Italy’s tomato farmers, the San Marzano variety, cultivated in the southern region of Campania, is also experiencing mixed results in 2024. At the recent launch event for the 2024 San Marzano season in Nolano, Acerra, held at the Sorgenti del Riullo near ancient Suessula, experts expressed optimism about the quality of this year’s crop.

However, despite the rising quality, expectations of significant growth in cultivated hectares have been disappointed. Only 20 additional hectares were planted this year, bringing the total to around 370 hectares, compared to the annual average of 340 hectares. In 2023, the revenue for San Marzano tomatoes was only €0.66 per kilogram, leaving many growers on the edge of economic viability.

To put these figures into perspective, the current cultivated area for San Marzano tomatoes is a fraction of what it was in the 1980s, when potential cultivation stretched over 16,000 hectares across 41 municipalities.

Interestingly, the San Marzano nearly disappeared in the 1990s due to a combination of counterfeit products and industrial pressures. However, an unexpected ally came to the rescue: Japan. Japanese demand for authentic, high-quality San Marzano tomatoes led to significant investment in preserving traditional cultivation methods. Through partnerships between Japanese food producers and Italian farmers, innovative technologies and preservation techniques were introduced, allowing the San Marzano to flourish once again. Today, Japan remains one of the largest markets for this product, with high-end restaurants and retailers relying on its unique flavor to offer authentic Italian cuisine.

For Italian companies engaged in food trading with Japan, continuing to promote and value the San Marzano means not just offering an exceptional product but also telling a story of passion, resilience, and international collaboration.

At Alifood, we are committed to sharing the rich heritage of Italian culinary excellence with the world. Our selection of premium Italian tomato products ensures that your customers will experience the unparalleled quality that only authentic Italian tomatoes can offer.

Discover our full range of Italian tomato products here and bring the taste of tradition and quality to your clients, whether you’re supplying grocery retailers or high-end restaurant chains.

Let’s build the future of food trading together, one perfect tomato at a time.