Anicav: industrial tomato processing campaign on the rise, but energy costs weigh heavily

According to Anicav, National Association of Vegetable Food Preserving Industries, the 2026 industrial tomato processing campaign closed in Italy with total production of 6,3 million tonnes, up on last year.

An important result in terms of quantity, which consolidates our country’s position as the second-largest producer in the world (after the USA and ahead of China) and comes amid a significant increase in cultivated areas, totalling 86.382 hectares (of which 48.313 are in the northern basin and 38.069 in the central-southern basin), but also significant cost-related critical issues.

A complex campaign

The campaign was particularly complex for processing companies which, in order to ensure high production quality, had to contend with a sharp increase in energy costs. During the tomato processing period, in fact, the average campaign price of gas more than doubled compared with 2025 (+103%), while that of electricity recorded an increase of 78%, further intensifying pressure on industrial costs.

The figures for the basins

In the central-southern basin, where 3,1 million tonnes of tomatoes were processed, the campaign was very long, starting early and continuing until the end of October, with a considerable increase in production costs and a significant loss of economies of scale, given that the plants were not always able to operate at full capacity.

In the northern basin, final processed output stood at 3,2 million tonnes. The result was affected by the decline in agricultural yields, which recorded their worst performance in the last five years due to adverse weather conditions characterised by heatwaves, drought and hailstorms, as well as the limited availability of water resources. Added to this were lower-than-expected industrial yields, which resulted in final production falling below the quantities initially planned.

The comment

“This year’s processing campaign was particularly long and difficult, with critical issues affecting both production basins, albeit with different dynamics,” declares Aldo Rodolfi, president of Anicav. “Increases in energy costs, which have had a heavy impact on both production processes and transport, and a tomato price that continues to be the highest in the world have put processing companies under severe strain. In this scenario, it will be essential to begin careful planning of the 2027 campaign immediately, taking into account the increase in production volumes recorded over the last two years. At the same time, the increasingly evident effects of climate change, which affect the availability of the raw material, the progress of the harvest and, consequently, the organisation and efficiency of industrial operations, cannot be ignored.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.