Morocco Surpasses Spain as UK's Second-Largest Tomato Supplier, Expands Market Lead

For three consecutive years, Morocco has overtaken Spain in the British tomato market, becoming the second-largest supplier to the UK since 2021. Based on a report by hortoinfo, the gap between Morocco and Spain has widened significantly, from a 67.42% lead in 2021 to an 84% advantage in 2024, according to a report by Hortoinfo, based on data from COMTRADE, the United Nations Statistics Division.

In 2014, Spain sold 195.73% more tomatoes to the UK than Morocco, totaling an excess of 83.95 million kilograms. However, this lead steadily declined, and by 2020, Spain's advantage had dropped to just 9.77%, or 8.13 million kilograms more. By 2021, Morocco surpassed Spain, selling 67.42% more tomatoes, or an additional 44.64 million kilograms, a figure that increased to an 84.92% lead by 2023, with Morocco selling 57.69 million kilograms more than Spain.

Comparing the years 2014 and 2023, the UK's total tomato imports have decreased by 10.79%, from 413.16 million kilograms in 2014 to 368.56 million kilograms in 2023. However, the value of these imports rose from €513.08 million to €687 million, with the average price per kilogram increasing from €1.24 to €1.86.

The Netherlands remains the top tomato supplier to the UK in 2023, providing 35.11% of the total imports. Despite a 30.32% decrease in volume since 2014, the Netherlands sold 129.42 million kilograms of tomatoes to the UK in 2023. Morocco, now the second-largest supplier, has seen its sales to the UK grow by 192.90% since 2014, reaching 125.62 million kilograms in 2023. Spain, having fallen to third place since 2021, sold 67.93 million kilograms of tomatoes to the UK in 2023, marking a 46.44% decrease from 2014. Belgium has emerged as the fourth-largest supplier, with its tomato sales to the UK increasing by 266.12% from 2014 to 2023.