Learn about the largest producers and exporters of tomatoes in the world, including two Arab countries

Highlights: Learn about the largest producers and exporters of tomatoes in the world, including two Arab countries. Tomatoes are indispensable in many food cultures, especially in the Mediterranean, but China is the largest producer of the second most sought-after vegetable. The most common tomatoes are red, but they come in different colors, including yellow, orange, green, purple and even striped varieties, and each color has a unique flavor. There are more than 10,000 known types of tomatoes, each with its own size, shape and flavour.

Tomatoes are indispensable in many food cultures, especially in the Mediterranean, but China is the largest producer of the second most sought-after vegetable in the world.

The Arab world is present among the largest producers of tomatoes in the world (German News Agency)

Tomatoes are the second most important vegetable crop in the world after potatoes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and world production of them reached 189 million tons in 2021, up from less than 50 million tons in 1960.

Tomatoes are an essential ingredient in most food cultures around the world, and they are among the most consumed commodities during the month of Ramadan, but have you ever wondered where the bulk of these red fruits come from?

In this topic we discuss the largest producers of this crop.

1- Facts

Before reviewing the largest tomato producers in the world, we list these facts reported by the World States website:

Tomatoes appeared in western South America, and their cultivation can be traced back to the Aztec and Inca peoples, and they were transported to Europe by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century.
Although tomatoes are usually considered a vegetable, they are technically a fruit, and are classified as a berry because they develop from the ovary of the flower and contain seeds.
The most common tomatoes are red, but they come in different colors, including yellow, orange, green, purple and even striped varieties, and each color has a unique flavor.
Tomatoes are the most widely consumed vegetable in the world, and are used in countless culinary dishes and products, from salads and sauces to soups and smoothies.
There are more than 10,000 known types of tomatoes, each with its own size, shape and flavour.

Tomatoes are indispensable in the kitchens of Mediterranean countries (Pixels)

2- The largest producers

According to FAO data for 2021, the ranking of tomato-producing countries is as follows:

China 67.5 million tons annually.
India 21.1 million tons annually.
Türkiye 13 million tons annually.
United States 10.4 million tons annually.
Italy 6.6 million tons annually.
Egypt 6.2 million tons annually.
Spain 4.7 million tons annually.
Mexico 4.1 million tons annually.
Brazil 3.6 million tons annually.
Nigeria 3.5 million tons annually.
Iran 3.4 million tons annually.
Russia 3 million tons annually.
Ukraine 2.44 million tons annually.
Uzbekistan 2.2 million tons annually.
Portugal 1.74 million tons annually.

3- The most productive continents

Asia's production reached 119.2 million tons.
Europe 24.48 million tons.
The Americas: 23.68 million tons.
Africa 21.38 million tons.

4- The largest exporters

According to World Bank data, the largest tomato exporters in 2021 were as follows:

Mexico 1.9 million tons.
Netherlands 949 thousand tons.
Iran 824 thousand tons.
Spain 662 thousand tons.
Morocco 629 thousand tons.
Türkiye 616 thousand tons.
European Union 378 thousand tons.
China 296 thousand tons.
France 276 thousand tons.
United States 198 thousand tons.
Canada 198 thousand tons.

5- The largest importers

The largest importers in 2021, according to the World Bank, were as follows:

United States 1.4 million tons.
Germany 765 thousand tons.
European Union 705 thousand tons.
France 516 thousand tons.
Russian Federation 427 thousand tons.
Pakistan 404 thousand tons.
Saudi Arabia 351 thousand tons.
Britain 334 thousand tons.
Netherlands 243 thousand tons.
UAE 209 thousand tons.
Canada 200 thousand tons.
Spain 178 thousand tons.

6- The largest producers in the Arab region

According to FAO data for the year 2021, the ranking of Arab countries in tomato production is as follows:

Egypt 6.2 million tons.
Algeria 1.64 million tons.
Tunisia 1.46 million tons.
Morocco 1.31 million tons.
Syria: 757 thousand tons.
Iraq 744 thousand tons.
Jordan 711 thousand tons.
Sudan: 636 thousand tons.
Saudi Arabia 620 thousand tons.
Sultanate of Oman 283 thousand tons.
Lebanon: 273 thousand tons.
Palestine 233 thousand tons.
Libya 221 thousand tons.
Yemen: 162 thousand tons.
Kuwait 82 thousand tons.
UAE 78 thousand tons.
Diameter 39 thousand tons.
Somalia 23 thousand tons.
Comoros 11,027 tons.
Bahrain 7800 tons.
Djibouti 1383 tons.
Mauritania: No data available

According to the United Nations, the tomato crop grows in a period ranging from 90 to 150 days, and grows at an average daily temperature between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius during the day, and between 10 to 20 degrees at night.

Frequent light irrigation improves fruit size, shape, juiciness and color, but in return reduces total solids (dry matter content) and acid content.

A decrease in solids reduces the quality of the fruit, and when choosing irrigation practices, the type of final product required must be taken into account, as a prolonged lack of water leads to cracking of the fruit.

Source: Al Jazeera