Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the world and one of the most widely consumed vegetable crop types in the world after potatoes and peppers. Tomatoes have a wide variety of economic and health benefits. From an economic point of view, many farmers grow this plant because of the constant market demand for processed tomato products. In terms of nutrition, the tomato plant contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are good for good health.
In 2021, 189 million tonnes of tomatoes were produced worldwide and 5 million hectares were harvested. The production of tomatoes is distributed in different regions. Asia is the main region for tomato production, with 119 million tonnes produced, accounting for 63% of the world's tomato production; The Americas produced 23 million tonnes, accounting for 13% of world tomato production; Europe produces 24 million tons, accounting for 13% of world tomato production; Africa produces 21 million tonnes, accounting for 11% of world tomato production.
According to FAOSTAT2022, here are the 10 countries with the largest producers of fresh tomatoes in 2021.
1. China
In 2021, China became the world's largest tomato producer with more than 67 million tons (excluding data from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). The production of fresh tomatoes is basically spread throughout all provinces of China. According to production statistics, Shandong, Xinjiang, Hebei and Henan are the main producers of tomatoes in China. Together, these four provinces account for more than half of China's total fresh tomato production.
In China, most tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, accounting for more than 50% of China's total tomato production. Greenhouse tomatoes are produced to meet the needs of the domestic market, especially from October to June, when open-air (non-greenhouse) tomatoes cannot be produced due to winter.
2. India
India is the second largest producer of tomatoes, producing 21 million mt in 2021. More than 700 million hectares of land are planted with the tomato plant. Statistics show that Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar are the central provinces for tomato cultivation. After harvesting, the tomatoes will be distributed to markets in Kunur, Prakassam, Bangalore, Belgaum, Nashik, Pune, Sangeri and Nagpur.
3. Turkey
Turkey ranks third in tomato production. Production reached 13 million tons in 2021. 30% of Turkish tomato production is processed into various products such as tomato paste, tomato juice, tomato pulp, and crushed tomatoes. Tomatoes can be grown throughout Turkey, but most freshly eaten tomatoes are grown and cultivated in the Mediterranean region. Antalya, a province of Turkey, is the largest producer of tomatoes. This province provides 17% of the country's tomato production. In addition to Antalya, the provinces of Izmir, Canakkale and Mersina are also key regions for tomato production.
4. United States
U.S. tomato production ranked fourth in 2021. Production that year was 10.47 million tonnes, but the country has been a net importer of fresh tomatoes for a decade. Fresh tomatoes imported from the United States come from Mexico and Canada. According to statistics, most American potatoes are grown in California, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, and Tennessee.
5. Italy
Italy is the fifth largest tomato producer in the world. Tomato production reached 6.6 million tonnes in 2021. In this country, three main regions account for 90% of Italian tomato production. The three regions are Puglia, where tomato production exceeds 50% of the country; Emilia Romagna, tomatoes account for 30% and Campanian tomatoes 8%.
6. Egypt
Tomatoes play a very important strategic role in Egyptian agriculture. According to statistical reports, Egypt was the sixth largest tomato producer in the world in 2021, with production reaching 6.2 million tons that year. In Egypt, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetable crops, with tomatoes planted on almost 32% of the total vegetable crop. In this country, the regular harvest time is usually between July and October to November and February.
7. Spain
Spain is the seventh largest producer of tomatoes. According to FAOSTAT, Spain's production reached 4.7 million tonnes in 2021. According to Statista, there are several regions in Spain that are the main growing areas for tomatoes. They are Extremadura with a production of about 2.2 million tons, followed by Andalusia with about 2.1 million tons and Murcia with 276,000 tons.
8. Mexico
Mexico is one of the countries with the largest production of tomatoes on the American continent. According to statistics, the country's tomato production reaches 4.1 million tons. Mexico's tomato production is geographically highly concentrated, with six states accounting for 53% of the country's total production in 2021. These states are Sinaloa with about 12,000 hectares under cultivation, Sonora 1,700 hectares, Baja California Sur 1,000 hectares, Chiapas 740 hectares and Querétaro 112 hectares. Mexico produces red tomatoes, which are high, accounting for about 75% of total tomato production, while green tomatoes, which are less productive, account for 25% of total production.
9. Brazil
Brazil is the tenth largest tomato producer in the world. According to statistics, tomato production reached 3.6 million tons in 2021. Brazilian tomatoes are mainly produced in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. Goiás accounts for 65% of the Brazilian tomato cultivation area, amounting to 9,423 hectares, followed by Minas Genas with 14% of Brazilian tomatoes, about 2,027 hectares. São Paulo's cultivated area is 3,055 hectares, which is 21% of the total area.
10. Nigeria
Nigeria is the 10th largest tomato producer in the world. According to FAOSTAT, tomato production from Nigeria reached 3.5 million tonnes in 2021. Kana, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa and other states are the main tomato producing areas.
资料来源：Top 10 World's Biggest Tomato-Producing Countries - The Science Agriculture