AFRICAN EXPORT NEWS
WITH
DR GODWIN OYEFESO
South Africa’s Gauteng market has been unpredictable, with high rainfall impacting quality and shelf life. Despite higher volumes, average prices are down around 25% from last April.
Morocco recorded a 19% rise in tomato exports, reaching 690,000 tons, despite losses from ToBRFV and ongoing drought. Trade tensions with Europe persist, with critical talks expected at upcoming industry events in April and May.
South Africa: Gauteng tomato market remains unpredictable
The tomato market has been very difficult to interpret over the past two months, remarks a Gauteng market trader. Unusually high levels of rainfall over an extended period and across most summer rainfall regions, where tomatoes are typically grown, led to the expectation that supply would be limited. Tonnages delivered to the markets were indeed somewhat, though not drastically, lower during March 2025 compared to the same month in 2024.
The rainfall did not significantly affect volumes but had a major impact on both demand and shelf life. “The quality is much poorer than we normally see at this time of the year, and during the early part of the season, the heat in December also affected shelf life and yield.”
However, the market agent notes that tomato demand seems weaker than usual. The average tomato price has encountered resistance, and market observers report an average price of R15 (€0.70) per kilogram, despite volumes reportedly being 30% higher than at the same point last year. Compared to April 2024, prices are significantly, by some estimates, up to 25% lower.
From this point forward, tomato prices are expected to continue declining as the winter tomato crop begins, unless disrupted by another black frost event like the one experienced in July 2024. The market agent concludes that accurately forecasting the tomato market has become increasingly difficult.
Morocco: Tomato exports rise despite challenges
Morocco exported 690,000 tons of tomatoes this season, marking a 19% year-over-year increase. Of the total, 58% were non-round varieties. The United Kingdom imported 122,720 tons in 2024, with snack tomatoes making up 68% of that volume, over 30% of the UK’s total tomato imports. Overall, the UK accounted for 18% of Moroccan tomato exports, which reached 46 countries this season.
Direct shipments to Germany also saw strong growth, rising from 69,800 tons in 2023 to 98,400 tons in 2024. Baby plum tomatoes accounted for 68% of the volume exported to Germany.
Despite the export success, Moroccan growers faced notable challenges this season. The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) led to an estimated 15–20% production loss. In response, producers increasingly adopted resistant varieties, including newer alternatives to established cultivars like Angelle, while focusing on improving both yield and quality.
Ongoing drought conditions in the Souss Massa region further pressured production. Many growers now depend on seawater desalination to sustain output.
Tensions with European markets added complexity to the season. Although protests against Moroccan tomato imports in France and Spain have calmed compared to last year, political and legal resistance remains strong. The European Court of Justice’s annulment of trade agreements between the EU and Morocco has given European growers a legal avenue to contest Moroccan import volumes. Both sides have traded accusations of unfair competition.
Key developments are expected at the Moroccan International Agricultural Exhibition (SIAM) from April 21 to 27, 2025, where France will be the guest of honor. Stakeholders are anticipating a new agreement between Moroccan and French producers, though French demands to halt Moroccan exports between April and October remain a point of contention.
An exporter noted that Moroccan shipments to France are already declining, as French intermediaries once central to re-exports are increasingly bypassed in favor of direct shipments to other European markets like Germany.
The industry will gather again at the Morocco Tomato Conference in Agadir on May 21. This year’s event is expected to focus on the combined effects of production risks, shifting trade dynamics, and long-term strategic planning for the sector.