Italy has overtaken China to
become the second biggest global producer of processed tomato
products after the United States, the national association of
canned vegetable industries ANICAV has said.
The Italian processed tomato industry is worth
approximately 3.2 billion euros, of which exports account for
around 50%, the association added.
The main export markets are the European Union - accounting
for around 60% - followed by the United States, Japan and
Australia, ANICAV manager Giovanni De Angelis said.
"The export routes for processed tomato products have
always followed our migratory flows in the first instance and
then Italian catering abroad, and now the success … of iconic
Made in Italy products such as pasta and pizza, which are
difficult to imagine without tomatoes," De Angelis said.
Italy has always been the biggest producer of canned
tomatoes by end consumption, with peeled plum tomatoes being
invented in Naples in 1700.
"Ten thousand containers loaded with this 'red gold' depart
each month from the port of Salerno (in the southern Campania
region) alone," De Angelis said.
The sector counts 120 processing companies that together
give work to 12,000 permanent and 22,000 seasonal employees.
This year favourable weather conditions in northern regions
saw production of processed tomato products rise to 2.8 milion
tonnes, while bad weather and planning difficulties in the
centre and South led to a drop in production to 2.3 million
tonnes.
Italy accounts on average for 13% of global production and
48% of European production, De Angelis said.
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