Fresh Versus Processing Tomatoes: Two Harvests, One Bottle
Ketchup does not begin on a supermarket shelf; it begins in a field of processing tomatoes — the firmer, drier type grown specifically for paste, sauce and canning rather than for salads. Eurostat splits the EU tomato crop into two streams: tomatoes for fresh consumption (crop code V3110) and tomatoes for processing (V3120). In 2024 the EU-27 harvested 10.19 million tonnes (10 188.1 thousand tonnes) of processing tomatoes, against 6.53 million tonnes (6 530.5 thousand tonnes) grown for fresh use.
Together the two streams accounted for 16.90 million tonnes (16 902.16 thousand tonnes) of tomatoes in 2024. Processing tomatoes made up 60.3% of that total and fresh tomatoes 38.6%, with roughly 1.1% (about 183.6 thousand tonnes) falling into smaller tomato categories the dataset tracks separately. If the tomato in your bottle of ketchup was grown in Europe, it almost certainly came from the processing stream — crop code V3120 — and not from the salad shelf. Processing tomatoes go to factories for paste and sauce; fresh tomatoes go to market much as they are picked.
Over the decade both streams shrank, and processing shrank faster. Between 2015 and 2024 fresh tomato production fell 2.6%, processing tomatoes fell 6.7% and the total crop fell 4.1%. In volume terms the processing stream lost 735.8 thousand tonnes, from 10 923.92 to 10 188.1. Processing's share of the harvest slipped from 62.0% to 60.3% — a drop of 1.7 percentage points, but still a clear majority of every tomato grown in the EU.
Tomatoes (V3100), fresh tomatoes (V3110) and processing tomatoes (V3120), dataset apro_cpsh1. Net change between 2015 and 2024. The processing-share row is a percentage of the EU-27 total, not a tonnage.
| Indicator | 2015 (1 000 t) | 2024 (1 000 t) | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh tomatoes (V3110) | 6703.53 | 6530.5 | -2.6% |
| Processing tomatoes (V3120) | 10923.92 | 10188.1 | -6.7% |
| Tomatoes total (V3100) | 17627.7 | 16902.16 | -4.1% |
| Processing share of total | 62.0% | 60.3% | -1.7 pp |
Who Grows Them: the EU Tomato Map
Italy grows more than a third of the EU's tomatoes: 6.02 million tonnes (6 022.79 thousand tonnes) in 2024, a 35.6% share. Spain follows with 4.57 million tonnes (4 574.28 thousand tonnes, 27.1%) and Portugal with 1.76 million tonnes (1 762.48 thousand tonnes, 10.4%). Italy and Spain between them grow 62.7% of the EU-27 crop, and Italy and Portugal together 46.1%.
Behind the leaders the map splits in two. Poland harvested 1.02 million tonnes (1 018.7 thousand tonnes, 6.0%), the Netherlands 828.48 thousand tonnes (4.9%), Greece 807.36 thousand tonnes (4.8%) and France 692.43 thousand tonnes (4.1%). Poland and the Netherlands rank high on total tomatoes, but most of their crop is fresh or greenhouse produce rather than the field-grown processing type — the next sections show why that distinction matters for a ketchup supply chain.
On the processing side the picture is tighter still. Italy and Portugal together grow 46.1% of the EU's processing tomatoes, and Italy, Spain and Portugal together grow 92.2% — nearly every tonne of the raw material behind European tomato products. Belgium (283.86 thousand tonnes), Romania (241.7) and Hungary (183.5) complete the 2024 top ten, each with less than 2% of the EU harvest — the three combined add up to just 4.2% of the EU crop.
All values in 1 000 t. Share of the EU-27 total (16 902.16 thousand tonnes) in 2024. Total tomatoes (V3100).
| Country | 2024 production (1 000 t) | Share of EU | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 6022.79 | 35.6% | 1 |
| Spain | 4574.28 | 27.1% | 2 |
| Portugal | 1762.48 | 10.4% | 3 |
| Poland | 1018.7 | 6.0% | 4 |
| Netherlands | 828.48 | 4.9% | 5 |
| Greece | 807.36 | 4.8% | 6 |
| France | 692.43 | 4.1% | 7 |
| Belgium | 283.86 | 1.7% | 8 |
| Romania | 241.71 | 1.4% | 9 |
| Hungary | 183.51 | 1.1% | 10 |
The Steadiness Surprise: Tomatoes Barely Swing
Tomato harvests are unusually steady for a field crop. Across 2015-2024 the EU total varied with a coefficient of variation (CV) of just 4.8% — a measure of how far annual values sit from the decade's typical level. Fresh tomatoes varied even less, at 4.3%. Processing tomatoes, the ketchup stream, moved a little more, with a CV of 6.1% across the nine years for which the EU aggregate is published.
That gap needs explaining. The EU processing aggregate has no 2019 value because fewer than 25 member states reported processing tomatoes that year, so Eurostat publishes no EU-27 figure; the 6.1% is therefore calculated on nine published years, not ten. Even so, the pattern holds. Processing volumes reached a decade low of 9.18 million tonnes (9 179 thousand tonnes) in 2022 — the same year Spain's processing harvest dropped from 3 066.45 to 1 999.09 thousand tonnes — then recovered to 10.19 million tonnes (10 188.1) by 2024.
The total harvest ranged from a 2022 low of 15.55 million tonnes (15 550.65 thousand tonnes) to a 2016 high of 18.31 million tonnes (18 309.01 thousand tonnes) — a gap of 2.76 million tonnes between the best and worst years of the decade. For processors and retailers planning a year ahead, that is a narrow band of uncertainty compared with most arable crops.
All values in 1 000 t. The EU processing aggregate (V3120) has no 2019 value — fewer than 25 member states reported it — so the processing CV of 6.1% is calculated on nine published years. Source: apro_cpsh1.
| Year | Tomatoes total (1 000 t) | Fresh (1 000 t) | Processing (1 000 t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 17627.7 | 6703.53 | 10923.92 |
| 2016 | 18309.01 | 6982.3 | 11153.6 |
| 2017 | 17750.77 | 6671.1 | 10895.1 |
| 2018 | 16708.42 | 6752.34 | 9956.1 |
| 2019 | 17039.61 | 6262.6 | — |
| 2020 | 16666.62 | 6343.4 | 10169.1 |
| 2021 | 17929.91 | 6842.9 | 10915.2 |
| 2022 | 15550.65 | 6216.7 | 9179 |
| 2023 | 15995.17 | 6090.2 | 9727.6 |
| 2024 | 16902.16 | 6530.5 | 10188.1 |
Greenhouse Versus Field: the Two Tomato Economies
Not every tomato comes from an open field. Eurostat also tracks tomatoes grown under glass or high cover (V3100S): 5.32 million tonnes (5 315.9 thousand tonnes) in 2024, equal to 31.5% of the entire EU tomato harvest, a segment that shrank 1.5% over the decade. The remaining output grew in the open, and the two systems serve different markets, as the processing numbers in the last section show.
Spain leads the under-cover segment with 1.50 million tonnes (1 501.84 thousand tonnes), 28.3% of EU covered output. The Netherlands follows with 828.48 thousand tonnes (15.6%) and Poland with 815.3 thousand tonnes (15.3%). Italy ranks fourth at 683.74 thousand tonnes (12.9%), ahead of France (471.86 thousand tonnes, 8.9%), Belgium (283.86), Greece (268.82) and Germany (108.03). These eight member states supply the large majority of the EU's covered tomatoes.
The sharpest insight is how much of each country's own tomato crop grows under cover. Every Dutch, Belgian and German tomato in the dataset is a covered one — 100% for each — and 80.0% of Poland's. Italy is the opposite: only 11.4% of its tomatoes grow under glass, and 32.8% of Spain's. Italy is the field empire, and that is exactly the profile a European ketchup supply chain depends on.
Under glass or high cover (V3100S), 2024. "Share of own tomatoes" = under-cover production as a percentage of that country's total tomato crop. All tonnages in 1 000 t.
| Country | 2024 under-cover production (1 000 t) | Share of EU under-cover | Share of own tomatoes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1501.84 | 28.3% | 32.8% |
| Netherlands | 828.48 | 15.6% | 100% |
| Poland | 815.3 | 15.3% | 80.0% |
| Italy | 683.74 | 12.9% | 11.4% |
| France | 471.86 | 8.9% | 68.1% |
| Belgium | 283.86 | 5.3% | 100% |
| Greece | 268.82 | 5.1% | 33.3% |
| Germany | 108.03 | 2.0% | 100% |
Shelf Notes: What Steady Supply Means for Prices and Makers
The processing stream is one of the most concentrated in EU agriculture. Italy grew 4.83 million tonnes (4 833.76 thousand tonnes) of processing tomatoes in 2024, 47.4% of the EU total. Spain grew 2.92 million tonnes (2 923.33 thousand tonnes, 28.7%), Portugal 1.64 million tonnes (1 640.78 thousand tonnes, 16.1%), Greece 463.2 thousand tonnes (4.5%) and France 164.96 thousand tonnes (1.6%). Three countries supply 92.2% of the raw material behind the continent's tomato products.
The decade's direction matters as much as its level. Italy's processing harvest shrank 17.2% between 2015 and 2024, from 5 835.7 to 4 833.76 thousand tonnes, and its processing area fell from 87.76 to 76.86 thousand hectares. Portugal moved the other way, up 25.2% from 1 310.37 to 1 640.78 thousand tonnes, and Spain rose 5.3% from 2 776.12 to 2 923.33. Greece fell 18.7% (569.92 to 463.2) and France slipped 3.1% (170.21 to 164.96).
Read together, these numbers describe a stable market with shifting suppliers. Total EU processing volumes moved with a CV of 6.1%, so the main risk to a food business is rarely a missing harvest — it is the slow relocation of supply toward Spain and Portugal and away from Italy. For anyone buying European tomato ingredients, the practical question is which country's crop a supplier contracts, not whether the crop will exist.
Processing tomatoes (V3120), 2015-2024. Net change between the first and last year of the window. Shares are of the 2024 EU-27 processing total (10 188.1 thousand tonnes).
| Country | 2015 (1 000 t) | 2024 (1 000 t) | Net change | Share of EU processing 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 5835.7 | 4833.76 | -17.2% | 47.4% |
| Spain | 2776.12 | 2923.33 | +5.3% | 28.7% |
| Portugal | 1310.37 | 1640.78 | +25.2% | 16.1% |
| Greece | 569.92 | 463.2 | -18.7% | 4.5% |
| France | 170.21 | 164.96 | -3.1% | 1.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country grows the most tomatoes?
Italy. In 2024 it harvested 6.02 million tonnes (6 022.79 thousand tonnes) of tomatoes, 35.6% of the EU-27 total, ahead of Spain (4 574.28 thousand tonnes) and Portugal (1 762.48 thousand tonnes). For processing tomatoes — the ones used for paste, sauce and ketchup — Italy still leads with 47.4%, followed by Spain (28.7%) and Portugal (16.1%).
Are EU tomato harvests stable from year to year?
Yes. Between 2015 and 2024 the EU-27 total varied with a coefficient of variation of 4.8%; fresh tomatoes came in at 4.3% and processing tomatoes at 6.1% across the nine years the EU processing aggregate is published (2019 is missing because fewer than 25 member states reported it).
Where do the processing tomatoes for ketchup come from?
Three countries grow 92.2% of them: Italy (47.4% of EU processing tomatoes), Spain (28.7%) and Portugal (16.1%). The processing stream is crop code V3120 in Eurostat's apro_cpsh1 dataset, separate from tomatoes grown for fresh eating (V3110).
Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.
This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.
