It has been a sunny but scorching summer in Europe. That affected the tomato market. High temperatures led to a 14% drop in production. That is according to a September report by the Flemish expert working group and fruit and vegetable management committee. That lower production resulted in higher prices.
These groups provide support to the European Commission (EC). The management committee focuses mainly on prices, markets, and practical implementation rules.
The EC tomato dashboard shows that, in August, tomato prices were just about on par with the five-year average. Though, against the trend, prices fell in August.
French growers protested after what they call a 'catastrophic month.' In Spain, the average price for a kilo of tomatoes also fell significantly below the five-year average.
But in Italy and the Netherlands, the other two countries on the dashboard, August's prices were higher than the five-year average.
