Turkey Expects Smaller Tomato Crop

ANKARA - Jun 9/04 - SNS -- Tomato processors in Turkey are expecting this year's harvest to end up around 8 million metric tons (MT) because of grower dissatisfaction with industrial tomato prices proposed by the processors.

Total fresh and industrial production in 2003 was 8.4 million tons. The production increase was due to suitable weather during the season and high prices paid for industrial tomatoes by the processors, notes the U.S. agricultural attache here in a report on the sector.

Tomatoes are grown throughout Turkey, but the bulk of production is concentrated in the Marmara and Aegean regions where climatic conditions are nearly ideal. Recent trends in tomato production include increased greenhouse production in southern Turkey for fresh consumption in urban areas during the winter.

Tomatoes produced for processing comprise about 25% of Turkey's total production, while the remainder is destined for fresh consumption. Processing tomatoes are grown mainly in the township of Balikesir and Canakkale in the Marmara region, Bergama and Turgutlu of the Aegean region and in newly emerging areas of Tokat of Central Anatolia, where the processing industry is located

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