Portugal emerged as the third-largest tomato producer in the European Union (EU) last year, ranking behind Italy and Spain, according to the European statistical office, Eurostat.
The latest Eurostat data on the 2024 harvests indicate that Portugal produced 1.7 million tons of tomatoes, falling behind Italy with six million tons and Spain with 4.5 million tons.
In total, the EU harvested 62.2 million tons of fresh vegetables (including melons) last year, marking a 6% increase from 58.8 million tons in 2023.
According to Eurostat, Spain (14.8 million tons), Italy (13.9 million tons), and France (5.8 million tons) were the leading producers of fresh vegetables in the EU, collectively accounting for 55% of the total harvest.
The EU’s vegetable production saw an increase in 2024 compared to 2023: tomato production was 5% higher with 16.8 million tons, carrot production increased by 6% to 4.7 million tons, and onion production rose by 11% to 7.0 million tons.
Among EU countries, Italy was the largest tomato producer in 2024, accounting for 36% of the EU’s total tomato harvest, followed by Spain (27%) and Portugal (10%).
On the other hand, the EU’s production of fruits, berries, and nuts (excluding citrus, grapes, and strawberries) amounted to 24.3 million tons in 2024.
This figure was 2% lower compared to the 2023 harvest.
The leading producers of fruits, berries, and nuts in the EU in 2024 were Italy (5.4 million tons), Spain (4.3 million tons), and Poland (4.1 million tons), collectively making up 57% of the EU’s production.
