In recent times, Morocco has seen a notable increase in its footprint within the Polish greenhouse tomato sector, as highlighted by EastFruit. The direct import figures for Moroccan tomatoes into Poland have been consistently high over the past three years, with volumes ranging between 30,000 and 36,000 tons. The first half of this year witnessed a peak in Moroccan tomato presence in the Polish market.
Direct imports from Morocco were around 30,000 tons last year, showing a slight decrease from the previous year due to weather-related challenges. However, this volume was still twice as much as that of 2019. This year, the Moroccan greenhouse industry's rebound enabled exporters to ship a record 22,000 tons of tomatoes to Poland from January to June. Given that a considerable amount of Moroccan produce also reaches Poland via Spain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, the actual market penetration is even more pronounced.
Despite advancements in local greenhouse vegetable cultivation, Poland emerged as the world's eighth-largest importer of greenhouse tomatoes in 2023. In Europe, it stands behind only Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the Netherlands in terms of tomato imports. Polish companies set a new record by importing 216,000 tons of tomatoes in 2023, with a 15% increase in imports during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023. Over the last five years, Poland's total tomato imports have surged by one-third.
The bulk of greenhouse tomatoes in Poland are sourced from five main countries: the Netherlands, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, and Germany, accounting for 92-95% of total imports. In 2023, Turkey emerged as a principal supplier due to adverse weather conditions in Spain and Morocco, which led to a significant price reduction. However, Turkish offerings, primarily red round tomatoes, did not fully replace Spanish and Moroccan products. Morocco distinguishes itself in the Polish market by focusing on an array of cherry tomatoes, including standard round cherry tomatoes, cherry plum tomatoes, cherry datterini tomatoes, cherry mixes, and cherries on the vine. Polish importers acknowledge Morocco's leading role in setting trends for the cherry tomato segment, with the HoReCa sector in Poland particularly aligning with the standards introduced by Moroccan suppliers.
Source: East-Fruit