Latest News From Tomatoes

Mexican tomatoes count nearly $5 billion in economic impact in the U.S., according to new research from the University of Arizona.

Pharr, Texas-based Kaliroy Fresh LLC is launching a new top seal resealable snacking tomato line.

A clear consumer retail preference for vine-ripened tomatoes after the March 2020 COVID lockdown is one finding of a study by the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at the University of Arizona.

Registration is now open for all events during Tomato Week 2021! Join us for all the latest on tomatoes! Please see below for more details, registration links, and a sneak peak. 

Along with the flashing yellow caution light of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 also is bringing green lights for Mexican produce moving through Nogales, Ariz., distributors report.

Strawberries enjoyed a third week in a row at No. 1 on PMG, while pummelos bumped oranges down to take the No. 2 spot, landing oranges at No. 3.

Spurred by new acreage and product innovation, Pure Hothouse Foods has strong growth plans for 2021, says Chris Veillon.

The value of U.S. apple exports fell 11% in 2020, but government trade statistics show that orange exports increased in value by 8%.

With more than 66 million pounds and $233 million sold in 2019, the average retail price for organic tomatoes came in at $3.52 per pound, and organics comprised 7% of the tomato category.

Pummelos were finally knocked from their weeks-long run at No. 1 when strawberries took the top spot on PMG the week of Jan. 25.

The newest tomato from the Pure Flavor brand comes to market with a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute.

Flavorful Brands, exclusive marketers of Tasti-Lee Tomatoes and Goldies Onions in the U.S. and Canada, announced the completion of a Series A $5 million capital raise with strategic investor House Foods Group Inc.

An in-depth case study on organic tomatoes was presented at the Global Organic Produce Expo by Wholesum’s Joanna Jaramillo.

Pummelo, oranges and strawberries carried the top three spots on PMG for the third week in a row, while lettuce rose three places to No. 4, and apples gained four spots to complete the top 5.

A unique program at the University of Florida is asking home gardeners to grow and evaluate new tomato varieties.

Greenhouse grower NatureSweet has added Suzanne Wade, who has worked in executive roles at Walmart and H-E-B, to its board of directors.

More tomatoes crossed the border at Nogales, Ariz., during the 2019-20 season than any other commodity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility had a seizure of $37,000,000 worth of alleged methamphetamine discovered in a commercial shipment of fresh tomatoes.

What kind of year has it been for tomatoes? Up and down, even more than usual.

Village Farms has introduced Sensational Sara, a tomato variety it describes as having a stunning deep red color inside and out with a perfect balance of sugar to acid ratio.

NatureSweet® is the single source solution for greenhouse grown vegetables. With the holiday season in full swing, NatureSweet® is excited to share its favorite holiday recipes with its fellow tomato lovers. 

The Netherlands-based Syngenta Vegetable Seeds is introducing its first commercial Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) resistant variety, which the company said will be available in early 2021.

Loblaw Cos. has chosen Nature Fresh Farms’ Ontario Greenhouse Mixiany Cherry Tomatoes as its President’s Choice Fresh Product of the Year Award.

Amado, Ariz.-based Wholesum is increasing its volume of organic butternut, acorn and spaghetti hard squashes this season, said Joanna Jaramillo, marketing specialist.

Carrots, potatoes, lettuce, onions and tomatoes were among the top 10 categories by volume in the third-quarter Organic Produce Performance Report released Oct. 21 by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners. 

Greenhouse grower Mucci Farms, Kingsville, Ontario, has plans for massive expansion of facilities in the U.S. and Canada in the next two years.

The Florida Tomato Exchange is keeping tabs on Mexican tomato imports through a new website, TomatoMonitor.com.

The NatureSweet virtual booth at Fresh Summit showcased D’Vines a cherry-on-the-vine offering that is the newest addition to the company’s lineup.

Kingsville, Ontario-based Mastronardi Produce has a new SKU in its on-the-vine snacking tomato lineup: Lolli Bombs.

Curious about Tots from Intergrow? In case you haven't yet scored a sample, Amelia and Ashley gave them a try at home as part of their New Product Review series for Fresh Summit.

U.S. imports of fresh vegetables from September 2019 through August were up 11%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mexican tomato exports to the U.S. in 2020-21 are expected to increase 2% compared with 2019-20 levels, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report.

Vegetable breeder Enza Zaden, based in The Netherlands, has identified a gene that resists the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).

Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, is establishing a distribution center in Surrey, British Colombia, to serve western U.S. and Canada.

Amado, Ariz.-based Wholesum is introducing top-seal packaging for its organic tomatoes-on-the-vine. 

Kingsville, Ontario-based Red Sun Farms is lighting up its greenhouses in Ontario to produce year-round in Canada.

Albion, N.Y.-based Intergrow Greenhouses is expanding in New York.

The values of Kern County’s top two crops in 2019 switched, with the almond crop higher than the value of its grape crop for the first time since 2011.

Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, has received Equitable Food Initiative certification for its fifth operation.

While many of us love the familiar comforts of home, we also sometimes want what we didn’t have while growing up. I didn’t know what a tomato was supposed to taste like.

See The Packer's 2020 Fresh Trends Data on tomatoes!