Reader’s Digest December 2019

In December 2019, we published the following articles:

• Request to companies to send us their details in order to update the 2020 TOP40 tomato processing companies.
• Update on paste prices, with average monthly unit values of exports for USA, Spain, Portugal, Italy, China and Chile.
• The CAPL group, following the takeover of the Tarascon plant, launched a crowdfunding campaign to gather funds to maintain the plant's operations and develop the product ranges of the Panier Provencal.
• In China, the exports in the paste category recorded a slight increase, despite a decline in the trade-flows to West Africa, and increases in exports to the Middle East, the Far East, Eurasia and the Western European Union.
• The Navatta Group has become a reference for tomato processing equipment.
• In Nigeria, while the Dangote tomato factory faced another shut down, Olam Nigeria Limited started a pilot tomato farming program.
• The latest outlook report published by the European Commission shows a slight increase in EU production of tomatoes and a strong increase in EU exports of processed tomatoes.
• In Russia, the APK Astrakhan company increased its tomato pastes production and is planning to invest in a new plant.
• In America, the World Resources Institute is a think tank specialized in environmental issues and their 2015 reports shows country-level water stress projections up to 2040.
•  During the 7^th Edition of the Filo Rosso del Pomodoro, which took place in Naples on the 29^th November, discussions were held on the current problems of the sector and proposals were made for problem-solving and competitive strategies.
• US exports suffered a big decline last year, down to the level of 2012/2013.
• According to the Italian economic press, Barilla is intending to take a share in Petti-Italian Food.
• WPTC Crop update as of 16 December 2019.
• The IO Pomodoro Nord  invested in 2019 in variety trials, in the Operational Groups for Innovation assigned to "defense against the red spider mite" and "satellite images", in the dissemination of spider mite "predators" in the fields and in advance for regional compensation funds for farmers affected by the Ralstonia attacks.
• Australia suffers from a heat wave and experienced the hottest day on record with a 40.9 °C (105.6°F) on 17^th December.
• Exports of Tomato Paste are just below the 3.5 million mT threshold, with a growth rate higher than in the previous years.
• Australia is investigating the use of tomato vine as a by-product for ammonia production.
• A new study on Climate Change shows how specific wave patterns in the jet stream can result on co-occurring heat waves in major food producing regions of northern America, Western Europe and Asia.
• A study on processing tomato production in California shows that the impact of changing temperatures will likely reduce the timing of the growing season.
• The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded grants for 3 3-year projects on Proactive Integrated Pest Management Solutions.

You can find the individual articles in the NEWS list and/or search by keyword, date etc.