Northern Italy’s industrial tomato sector is reporting its lowest yields in years but record levels of quality, as growers and processors grapple with the effects of extreme weather and looming uncertainty over EU agricultural policy. At a recent meeting in Parma, the Northern Italy’s Interprofessional Organization for Processing Tomatoes (OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia) and regional agriculture councillor Alessio Mammi reviewed the results of the 2025 campaign. Prolonged heatwaves in June and early July stressed plants and cut harvests short, with just over 60% of contracted volumes delivered to processors by 7 September — well below expectations given the land already harvested.
Yields are estimated at 60–70 tonnes per hectare, compared with a five-year regional average above 73. Yet growers achieved record sugar content, with a Brix reading of 5.15, the highest on record. Stakeholders hope that more favourable weather in September may lift final yields.
STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES FOR ITALIAN TOMATOES
Giuseppe Romanini, president of OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia, said the figures highlight deeper structural challenges facing the supply chain. Water scarcity and the lack of modern storage infrastructure are pressing concerns, alongside tougher EU plant-protection rules. Breeding new varieties resilient to climate change and securing fair terms in international trade — particularly reciprocity on sustainability standards and tariffs — will be critical, he argued.
Romanini also warned over the European Commission’s draft for the 2028–2034 Common Agricultural Policy, criticizing proposed cuts in funding and the consolidation of agricultural and cohesion budgets into a single fund.
FOOD VALLEY AT RISK
Mammi, representing Emilia-Romagna’s agriculture department, stressed the tomato sector’s importance to the region’s global reputation as Italy’s “food valley.”
“We are navigating a highly complex period,” he said. “If Emilia-Romagna is recognised as a food valley, it is also thanks to the tomato supply chain — a symbol of our capacity to work together. More than ever, quality and productivity must go hand in hand, because without productivity, there is no competitiveness. ‘Made in Italy’ is an extraordinary brand, but price and value also matter. This is why clear strategies and investment are needed, both locally and at the company level.”
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