A key tomato producer has issued a warning over potential price rises, as the UK supermarket tomato shortage continues to affect shoppers.
Anyone who likes tomatoes will be aware that the upcoming summer months deliver them at their finest. But a major tomato producer has issued a warning that the cost of this beloved fruit could rise.
Mutti, an Italian brand producing tinned tomatoes, purées and sauces, suggests prices could climb if oil costs stay elevated throughout the critical summer tomato harvesting period. Energy expenses are running approximately 50% above anticipated levels owing to the continuing conflict in Iran, which continues to impact oil and gas markets.
Chief executive Francesco Mutti said the firm has so far resisted raising prices, but warned that the window between July and September would be decisive in determining the next steps.
According to the Grocery Gazette, the company uses roughly three-quarters of its annual energy expenditure during the peak European tomato season. Throughout this period, tomatoes are harvested and processed at significantly higher volumes than usual before being distributed globally.
Mutti noted the company would reassess its stance after the harvest finished, with any potential price increases happening after the season ends.
He added: “There, depending on the level, we will have to take the decision about what our position will be on the market.”
In Britain, tins of Mutti Polpa chopped tomatoes retail at approximately £1.60, with the brand competing with Napolina for dominance as the leading non-supermarket tomato brand.
Mutti said this year’s Italian tomato harvest would represent a “key element” in determining whether prices require changing. The impact on fresh tomatoes has already been felt by supermarket shoppers across the country.
British growers who depend on glasshouses have been dealt a double blow, facing both soaring fertiliser costs and rocketing energy prices.
According to the British Tomato Growers Association, some producers saw their electricity standing charges surge by as much as 80% from April.
Shoppers have also encountered bare patches on supermarket shelves where tomatoes and other everyday staples, such as peppers and cucumbers, would ordinarily be stocked.
