World production of processing tomato:

The world’s processing tomato production is concentrated in three main basins:

  • AMITOM; The Mediterranean International Association of the Processing Tomato: “Mediterranean” basin, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, etc.
  • NAFTA: (French acronym ALENA) California and other US states, Canada, Mexico.
  • China and other countries in the northern hemisphere.

The largest tomato-processing countries are the USA (California), China and Italy with 58% of the total quantities and are followed by Spain, Turkey, Iran, Portugal, Brazil, Tunisia and a few others with less than 24% of the total.

In terms of production, world quantities remain fluctuating, recording peaks of overproduction in 1991, 1996 and 2002. In 2019 production was of the order of 37400 thousand tons. Average agricultural yields increased by about 60% over 20 years, ranging from 52 t/ha in 1997 to 83 t/ha in 2017.


The importance of processing tomatoes crop in Tunisia

In Tunisia, there are more than 10000 producers growing tomatoes for processing, with an area of about 18000 ha (average of the last 10 years). The average production of seasonal tomatoes is of the order of one million tons (with a record in 2015 of more than 1,2 million tons).

The main regions of processing tomato production in Tunisia:

  • Cap Bon: region located in the North-East of Tunisia: first production area with 32% of the total area in 2019.
  • The region of central Tunisia with 14% of the total area in 2019.
  • The North-West region of Tunisia with 10% of the total area in 2019.

Tomato Paste:

In Tunisia, processing tomatoes has been a long-standing activity with the establishment of the first factory in 1903.

Since then, this sector has undergone an important evolution, reaching the establishment of 42 factories on Tunisian territory in the 1990s.

The production of double concentrated tomato remains the dominant activity in the tomato processing industry. Currently, this activity is carried out by 26 industrial units.
Always looking to improve the quality of their products, and in order to cope with changes in the sector, most of these factories have invested in modernization, increasing their production capacity of Double Concentrated Tomato (DCT) as well as in the establishment of quality management systems. For example, seven manufacturers have set up aseptic filling lines for a daily capacity of the equivalent of 5 thousand tonnes of fresh tomatoes. 65% of tomato canneries (17 units) are ISO 9001 and / or ISO 22000 certified.

In terms of production, Tunisia has processed an average (over the last ten years) 750000 tons of fresh tomatoes per year and has produced on average the equivalent of 120000 tons of double tomato concentrate “DCT” mainly to meet the needs of the local market, which consumes almost 100000 tons per year. The daily processing capacity is around 35000 tons of fresh tomatoes per day. With such production Tunisia is one of the top 10 Double Concentrated Tomato producing countries in the world and the Mediterranean basin and the first country on the African continent.

In terms of exports, it is mainly destined for the Libyan market and in smaller quantities to other European and African destinations.

Over the past 10 years, the average export volume has been around 13000 tons of Double Concentrated Tomato per year.

In terms of DCT consumption, Tunisia ranks first in the world with an average consumption (fresh tomato equivalent) of around 55 kg/year/hab. the same consumption does not exceed 35 kg in the USA and 24 kg in Italy.

Tomato concentrate packaged in metal boxes or aseptic bags.

The following graph shows the average proportions of each type of packaging over the past five campaigns (2014-2018):