The OI Pomodoro Nord Italia prepares for 2026

The OI Pomodoro Nord Italia is preparing to support the supply chain for the 2026 campaign.

OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia (Northern Italy Industrial Tomato Interprofessional Organization) – the interprofessional organization that brings together 100% of the Producer Organizations (POs) and tomato processing industries in the Northern Basin, Europe’s largest district for the production and processing of industrial tomatoes – is preparing for the 2026 campaign.

With the 2025 campaign now over, which ended with 3,121,617 tons of product harvested and processed (-13% compared to the contracted quantity) and an average yield of 69.3 t/ha, lower than the five-year historical value of 73.2 t/ha but of excellent quality (Brix degree of 5), the supply chain is looking ahead to the next season with a sense of responsibility.

The critical issues of recent years – from the floods of 2023 to the low production of 2024, up to the low yields of 2025, caused by ongoing climate change – require in-depth analysis but, above all, careful and shared planning. With this in mind, during the OI Members’ Meeting held on November 26 in Parma, the latest amendments to the Statute were approved and the Shared Rules were updated, the result of extensive discussion and consultation with all members.

The Shared Rules – which promote compliance with contractual commitments and the related activities of the Interprofessional Organization – are a key tool for ensuring fair, honest, and transparent operations within the supply chain. They also serve as a guarantee for all operators in a district such as that of industrial tomatoes in Northern Italy, which is internationally recognized for its efficiency, organization, and reliability. The changes were approved in a climate of collaboration and renewed confidence, in the belief that joint work and shared governance are essential conditions for effectively addressing the challenges facing the sector.

Collaboration will also be a key element in the first phase of the 2026 campaign, particularly in terms of the OI’s support for the supply chain in production planning. The Shared Rules introduce the collection of new data from members, such as finished product stocks, reported quantitatively in relation to the equivalent raw material, which is useful for effective planning based on the raw material requirements of processors and, consequently, the areas to be cultivated by farmers. Information on stocks, domestic market trends, and developments in international markets must form the basis for timely and accurate decisions.

During the meeting, the OI’s three-year program of activities was also approved, reinforcing initiatives already launched in recent years and defining development guidelines with the aim of supporting the supply chain in an increasingly complex competitive environment. Among these, it is worth mentioning those relating to institutional lobbying (reciprocity in trade, approval of assisted evolution techniques in varietal research, use of effective crop protection products, availability of water resources, definition of the CAP 2028-2034), the development of a digital platform for data exchange within the supply chain, the use of historical production data for risk management models for insurance purposes, and the drafting of a ‘Sustainability Report’ for the local supply chain as a summary of the activities of producer organizations and processing companies in terms of environmental sustainability.

“The revision of the Statute, the updating of the Shared Rules, and the definition of the Three-Year Program are objectives that have been achieved,” says Giuseppe Romanini, President of OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia, “but the most important result is the spirit of collaboration and concrete commitment that I have seen from everyone, in the belief that working together is the only way to continue to grow and improve.”

On the picture: Alessandro Piva, Giuseppe Romanini & Bruna Saviotti