Required Report - public distribution

**Date:** 6/15/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** FR5043

FR5043

**France**

**Tomatoes and Products**

**Annual**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Kurt Seifarth

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Marie-Cécile Hénard

**Report Highlights:**

In 2005, long-term trends for French tomato production are expected to
continue, with production for the fresh market on the rise to almost
632,000 MT, and production for processing on the decline, to
approximately 200,000 MT. The decline in supply of French raw material
for processing has been accelerated by the purchase of the leading
French tomato processing plant by the Chinese company Chalkis. Another
impact of such Chinese industrial investment in France is growing
imports of tomato paste from China.

Includes PSD Changes: Yes

Includes Trade Matrix: Yes

Unscheduled Report

Paris \[FR1\]

\[FR\]

Table of Contents

[Executive Summary 3](#executive-summary)

[Situation and Outlook 3](#situation-and-outlook)

[Tomatoes for the fresh market 3](#tomatoes-for-the-fresh-market)

[Tomatoes for Processing 3](#tomatoes-for-processing)

[Statistical Tables 5](#statistical-tables)

[PS&D Tables 5](#psd-tables)

[Trade Matrices 8](#trade-matrices)

# Executive Summary

In 2005, long-term trends for French tomato production are expected to
continue, with production for the fresh market on the rise to almost
632,000 MT, and production for processing on the decline, to
approximately 200,000 MT. The decline in supply of French raw material
for processing has been accelerated by the purchase of the leading
French tomato processing plant by the Chinese company Chalkis. Another
impact of such Chinese industrial investment in France is growing
imports of tomato paste from China.

# Situation and Outlook

## Tomatoes for the fresh market

According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and
Rural Affairs, French production of fresh tomatoes in 2003, 2004 and
2005 is as follows:

  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
                                2003           2004           2005 (f)

  Area Planted   Greenhouses    2,057          2,082          2,002
  (ha)                                                        

                 Open Fields    770            747            788

                 Total Area     2,827          2,829          2,790

  Production     Greenhouses    562,856        572,083        589,688
  (MT)                                                        

                 Open Fields    39,689         42,687         42,146

                 Total          602,545        614,770        631,834
                 Production                                   

  Yields (MT/ha) Greenhouses    274            275            295

                 Open Fields    52             57             53
  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------

France's largest fresh tomato producing companies are Prince de Bretagne
(80,000 MT), Saveol (72,000 MT), and Odelis-Rougeline (48,000 MT).

## Tomatoes for Processing 

In Europe, France is a minor producer of processed tomato products. The
quota for France set by the EU under the Common Market Organization
(CMO) for fruits and vegetables is 402,000 MT of fresh tomatoes.
Deliveries of fresh tomatoes to processors amounted to the following in
2003, 2004, and 2005 :

  --------------------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
                              2003           2004           2005

  Total (MT)                  248,950        222,578        200,000

  \% for tomato paste         75 %           97 %           97 %
  --------------------------- -------------- -------------- --------------

In April 2004, 55 percent of France's largest tomato processor,
"Conserves de Provence" producer of the brand "Le Cabanon," was bought
by the Chinese tomato company Chalkis. Chalkis is a subsidiary of the
leading Chinese food company Xinjiang, and the world's second largest
tomato processing company. The French cooperative "Le Cabanon" which
previously owned 100% of "Conserves de Provence" is keeping the
remaining 45 percent of the business.

The agreement signed between Chalkis and Le Cabanon stipulates that
Conserves de France will import, process and pack Chinese tomatoes
(mainly tomato paste) to sell on the European market. The following
trade matrices illustrate the increase in French imports of tomato paste
from China in 2003/04 and 2004/05.

While Chalkis initially indicated that it would purchase 60,000 MT of
fresh tomatoes produced in France annually, only 25,000 MT are
contracted for 2005. This drop from the major processing tomato company
in France explains the 20 percent decline in total deliveries of fresh
tomatoes for processing indicated in the above table.

Information on the world market for processed tomatoes can be found on
the internet website: [http://www.tomate.org](http://www.tomate.org/).
It includes information in English and French on world production,
regional organizations for processed tomatoes, and companies processing
tomatoes.

SONITO is the French processed tomato organization:
[http://www.sonito.fr](http://www.sonito.fr/) (all in French).

SONITO is a member of the Mediterranean Association of Tomato Growers
(AMITOM). Their website is:
[http://www.amitom.com](http://www.amitom.com/). It is both in English
and French, and describes the processed tomato sectors of each member
country of AMITOM (EU and North African countries). It also has press
releases with the status of the current production year in each member
country. In 2002, French tomato production for processing accounted for
2 percent of the total AMITOM production.

# Statistical Tables

## PS&D Tables

  --------------- ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
  **PSD Table**                                                                       

  **Country**     **France**                                                          

  **Commodity**   **Fresh                                       (HA)(MT)              
                  Tomatoes**                                                          

                  2003         Revised    2004       Estimate   2005       Forecast   UOM

                  USDA         Post       USDA       Post       USDA       Post       
                  Official     Estimate   Official   Estimate   Official   Estimate   
                  \[Old\]      \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    

  **Market Year                08/2003               08/2004               08/2005    MM/YYYY
  Begin**                                                                             

  Plnt For Fresh  0            2830       0          2830       0          2790       (HA)
  Consump                                                                             

  Plnt For        0            3272       0          3112       0          3000       (HA)
  Processing                                                                          

  TOTAL Area      0            6102       0          5942       0          5790       (HA)
  Planted                                                                             

  Harv. For Fresh 0            2830       0          2830       0          2790       (HA)
  Cons.                                                                               

  Harv. For       0            3272       0          3112       0          3000       (HA)
  Processing                                                                          

  TOTAL Area      0            6102       0          5942       0          5790       (HA)
  Harvested                                                                           

  Fresh Sale      0            576467     0          614770     0          631834     (MT)
  Production                                                                          

  Processing      0            248950     0          222578     0          200000     (MT)
  Production                                                                          

  TOTAL           0            825417     0          837348     0          831834     (MT)
  Production                                                                          

  TOTAL SUPPLY    0            825417     0          837348     0          831834     (MT)
  --------------- ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------

  --------------- ------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
  **PSD Table**                                                                        

  **Country**     **France**                                                           

  **Commodity**   **Tomatoes,                                    (MT)(MT,              
                  Canned**                                       Net                   
                                                                 Weight)               

                  2003          Revised    2004       Estimate   2005       Forecast   UOM

                  USDA Official Post       USDA       Post       USDA       Post       
                  \[Old\]       Estimate   Official   Estimate   Official   Estimate   
                                \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    

  **Market Year                 08/2003               08/2004               08/2005    MM/YYYY
  Begin**                                                                              

  Deliv. To       12944         13730      12000      1200       0          1000       (MT)
  Processors                                                                           

  Beginning       8836          7078       9984       10625      99934      11425      (MT, Net
  Stocks                                                                               Weight)

  Production      8802          9470       7950       800        0          700        (MT, Net
                                                                                       Weight)

  Imports         98324         99003      98000      102000     0          100000     (MT, Net
                                                                                       Weight)

  TOTAL SUPPLY    115962        115551     115934     113425     99934      112125     (MT, Net
                                                                                       Weight)

  Exports         5978          4926       6000       2000       0          1000       (MT, Net
                                                                                       Weight)

  Domestic        100000        100000     10000      100000     0          100000     (MT, Net
  Consumption                                                                          Weight)

  Ending Stocks   9984          10625      99934      11425      0          11125      (MT, Net
                                                                                       Weight)

  TOTAL           115962        115551     115934     113425     0          112125     (MT, Net
  DISTRIBUTION                                                                         Weight)
  --------------- ------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------

Sources: French Customs, French MinAg

  --------------- -------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
  **PSD Table**                                                                         

  **Country**     **France**                                                            

  **Commodity**   **Tomato                                        (MT)(MT,              
                  Paste,28-30%                                    Net                   
                  TSS Basis**                                     Weight)               

                  2003           Revised    2004       Estimate   2005       Forecast   UOM

                  USDA Official  Post       USDA       Post       USDA       Post       
                  \[Old\]        Estimate   Official   Estimate   Official   Estimate   
                                 \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    \[Old\]    \[New\]    

  **Market Year                  08/2003               08/2004               08/2005    MM/YYYY
  Begin**                                                                               

  Deliv. To       187580         187580     186630     186630     0          180000     (MT)
  Processors                                                                            

  Beginning       44998          44998      51776      51776      51876      51876      (MT, Net
  Stocks                                                                                Weight)

  Production      31260          31260      31100      31100      0          30000      (MT, Net
                                                                                        Weight)

  Imports         58968          58968      54000      54000      0          54000      (MT, Net
                                                                                        Weight)

  TOTAL SUPPLY    135226         135226     136876     136876     51876      135876     (MT, Net
                                                                                        Weight)

  Exports         3450           3450       5000       5000       0          5000       (MT, Net
                                                                                        Weight)

  Domestic        80000          80000      80000      80000      0          80000      (MT, Net
  Consumption                                                                           Weight)

  Ending Stocks   51776          51776      51876      51876      0          50876      (MT, Net
                                                                                        Weight)

  TOTAL           135226         135226     136876     136876     0          135876     (MT, Net
  DISTRIBUTION                                                                          Weight)
  --------------- -------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------

Sources: French Customs, French MinAg

## Trade Matrices

  -------------------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------
  **Export Trade                                              
  Matrix**                                                    

  **Country**          France                                 

  **Commodity**        Fresh Tomatoes                         

  Time Period          Aug/July            Units:             MT

  Exports for:         2002                                   **2003**

  U.S.                 0                   U.S.               0

  Others                                   Others             

  Germany              32646               Germany            31695

  Belgium              13118               Belgium            14982

  Italy                9752                Italy              11865

  Switzerland          8372                Czech Republic     7575

  Czech Republic       8319                Switzerland        7123

  UK                   5218                Spain              6069

  Spain                4575                UK                 4504

  Netherlands          4540                Netherlands        3337

  Russia               4177                Russia             2980

  Slovakia             1593                Austria            1778

  Total for Others     92310                                  91908

  Others not Listed    6845                                   6336

  Grand Total          99155                                  98244
  -------------------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------

  -------------------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------
  **Import Trade                                              
  Matrix**                                                    

  **Country**          France                                 

  **Commodity**        Fresh Tomatoes                         

  Time Period          Aug/July            Units:             MT

  Imports for:         2002                                   **2003**

  U.S.                 0                   U.S.               0

  Others                                   Others             

  Spain                173750              Morocco            169615

  Morocco              154935              Spain              158316

  Belgium              49313               Belgium            57008

  Netherlands          25062               Netherlands        30678

  Italy                6747                Turkey             6259

  Israel               4760                Israel             6123

  Turkey               2817                Italy              5438

  Tunisia              1913                Poland             3426

  Poland               1236                Tunisia            1555

                                                               

  Total for Others     420533                                 438418

  Others not Listed    2830                                   3261

  Grand Total          423363                                 441679
  -------------------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------

  ------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------
  **Export Trade                                              
  Matrix**                                                    

  **Country**         France                                  

  **Commodity**       Tomatoes, Canned                        

  Time Period         Aug/July              Units:            MT

  Exports for:        2002                                    **2003**

  U.S.                0                     U.S.              0

  Others                                    Others            

  Belgium             2905                  Belgium           2618

  UK                  721                   UK                823

  Total for Others    3626                                    3441

  Others not Listed   2125                                    1485

  Grand Total         5751                                    4926
  ------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------

  ------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------
  **Import Trade                                              
  Matrix**                                                    

  **Country**         France                                  

  **Commodity**       Tomatoes, Canned                        

  Time Period         Aug/July              Units:            MT

  Imports for:        2002                                    **2003**

  U.S.                0                     U.S.              0

  Others                                    Others            

  Italy               62941                 Italy             67864

  Spain               30125                 Spain             24910

  Belgium             1567                  Belgium           1794

                                            Turkey            1271

                                            UK                1085

  Total for Others    94633                                   96924

  Others not Listed   3204                                    2079

  Grand Total         97837                                   99003
  ------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------

  ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- -------------
  **Export Trade                                            
  Matrix**                                                  

  **Country**        France                                 

  **Commodity**      Tomato Paste,28-30%                    
                     TSS Basis                              

  Time Period        Aug/July              Units:           MT

  Exports for:       2002                                   **2003**

  U.S.               0                     U.S.              

  Others                                   Others           

  Belgium            1792                  Belgium          1749

  Germany            432                   Germany          847

  Total for Others   2224                                   2596

  Others not Listed  3672                                   866

  Grand Total        5896                                   3462
  ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- -------------

  ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- -------------
  **Import Trade                                            
  Matrix**                                                  

  **Country**        France                                 

  **Commodity**      Tomato Paste,28-30%                    
                     TSS Basis                              

  Time Period        Aug/July              Units:           MT

  Imports for:       2002                                   **2003**

  U.S.               0                     U.S.             0

  Others                                   Others           

  Italy              20982                 Italy            24375

  Spain              20249                 Spain            19836

  Portugal           4831                  China            7024

  China              1249                  Portugal         5738

  Total for Others   47311                                  56973

  Others not Listed  2308                                   2115

  Grand Total        49619                                  59088
  ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- -------------

+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Partial MY     |                         |                           |
| (August-March) |                         |                           |
|                |                         |                           |
| French imports |                         |                           |
| of tomato      |                         |                           |
| paste          |                         |                           |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
|                | 2003/04                 | 2004/05                   |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Italy          | 15613                   | 16619                     |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Spain          | 12511                   | 17067                     |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| China          | 6321                    | 7122                      |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Portugal       | 4032                    | 2786                      |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Others         | 1570                    | 993                       |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+
| Total          | 40047                   | 44587                     |
+----------------+-------------------------+---------------------------+

\[\[