Cherry tomatoes in Serbia mostly used to decorate food – Farmers producing small amounts, main buyers restaurants and hotels

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has sparked a lot of discussion recently with his statement that the cherry tomato is actually a genetically modified product. In addition to debates about the origins of the vegetable, the public has become interested in how cherry tomatoes are grown and how cost-effective the practice is, followed by comparisons with the “regular” tomato.

Agricultural experts and vegetable farmers remind that GMO production is forbidden in Serbia, and the data show that cherry tomatoes are grown in small amounts only and for regular customers predominantly. These mostly come from the HoReCa sector, i.e. restaurants and hotels, where cherry-like tomatoes, which are in fact hybrids of garden tomatoes and wild tomatoes, are mostly used to decorate food.

The Institute for Vegetable Crops claims that cherry tomatoes are much more profitable than the regular ones, but that they aren’t produced for the market locally. Most of those than found in green markets and hotels have been imported. They also note that this vegetable can be produced throughout the year, but that in Serbia, due to the climate, it wouldn’t be cost-effective, because plastic greenhouses would have to receive additional heating. As a main crop, it can be grown from March till late October.

– There are no precise data about the production of this vegetable in Serbia. However, if the sales at the Wholesale Greenmarket in Belgrade are any indication, cherry tomatoes are supplied irregularly and then in small amounts, below one ton, and they reach a stable price of RSD 200 per kilogram, regardless of whether it’s local or imported cherry tomatoes – says Goran Djakovic, editor of the Agrobiznis magazine in his interview for eKapija.

He believes that this is a great article for both the local and the foreign market, as “wherever you go, it’s rare that you will be served food that doesn’t have cherry tomatoes, rocket salad or some type of lettuce, like iceberg, on top of it”.

Djakovic points out that it is evident that certain traditional vegetables are increasingly being pushed aside by new ones, but that “as everywhere, there are trends inside the kitchen as well”.

Some of the biggest vegetable producers have also said for eKapija that they grow cherry tomatoes for regular clients mostly, and that there’s a much larger demand for the “regular” tomato in the market.

The Netherlands – the biggest exporter

One of the major participants in the tomato market is the Netherlands, which has a wide array of cultivars on offer. In addition to cherry tomatoes, they offer plum-colored tomatoes, wine tomatoes and various other kinds.

– This country is also the biggest world exporter with 22% of the market and earnings of EUR 2 billion. Mexico is close with 19.3%, followed by Spain with 14% market share. Of the countries in the region and our competitors in agricultural products, Poland is notable with 1.1% market share, which amounts to around USD 96 million. Considering that our export of small fruits is worth USD 250 million, we should think about stepping up the production of cherry tomatoes, which are easier to produce, that is, they require less investing and have a higher asset turnover ratio – Goran Djakovic says.

M.A.