The Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at University of Arizona has conducted a study showing how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the fresh tomato industry.
The research project, commissioned by the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA), provides insight to changes in the fresh tomato market including shipment volumes, shipping point prices, and retail prices.
As with most of the fresh produce industry, the study reveals a dramatic shift toward retail supermarket food purchases and away from restaurants since the start of the pandemic.
Moreover, it shows there was a clear consumer preference for vine-ripened tomatoes when purchasing patterns bounced back after he first lockdown in March 2020.
The project includes details on how supply and demand trends were affected during the year of 2020 during the peak of pandemic shutdowns when the food service industry was heavily affected.
The FPAA has published a storymap providing a timeline of events and various graphs that reflect shipment volumes throughout the lockdowns that took place.It can be accessed here: ImpactofCOVID-19onU.S.FreshTomatoMarkets(arcgis.com)
The full impact on tomatoes will be revealed during an upcoming public Webinar. For more details on how to register visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtce2vqTkpEtbdiJqX-uZkJxW7cn9B63se
