Curly Top sounds like the name of a plucky animal hero in a children’s story. But it’s not. Curly Top is a virus, lethal to plants, that wiped out a sizeable portion of California’s processing tomato crop this summer.
At 33.2 million metric tons (MT), global production was off 7.2% from February intentions of 35.8 million MT. Most of the world’s big production regions suffered sizable losses due to weather.
Over the next few years, Morning Star expects to add 700 tons per hour (TPH) to its operations. For the 2014 season Liberty is getting an additional 200 TPH of capacity and Williams will grow by 500 TPH in following seasons.
After years of surplus, the processed tomato market is entering a year of very tight supplies. With the world’s crop short by three million tons in 2013, processors could not make all the product customers want. As a result, de‐ mand is greater than supply and prices are rising.
Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer for students, but not the end of California’s processing tomato season. As the days get shorter, processors still expect tomato deliveries through the middle of October. And as long as the rain stays away this year, packers want to process as many tomatoes as possible since the crop’s tonnage has fallen below preseason expectations.
If you are looking to make your classic or contemporary cuisine come alive, then add the rich flavor and vibrant color of Morning Star’s sun‐dried tomato products. We offer a full line of flavor goodness to add to soups, pizza, potatoes, sauces, chutney, or pasta salads. But don’t be limited by our list, the possibilities are endless.
For the second year running, demand for tomato products from the United States hit record highs, according to the June 2013 stock report from the California League of Food Processors.
The world crop forecast is at 34.7 million metric tons, according to the World Processing Tomato Council. If achieved, the crop would be 3.7% larger than in 2012.
California growers have contracted for a near-record crop of 13.1 million tons of processing tomatoes in 2013, according to the California Processing Tomato Report. Contracts are 4.5% more than last year’s crop and just shy of the record 13.3 million ton crop set in 2009.
With 10 years of customer service experience in multiple industries, Brandon Taylor brought his skills to Morning Star in March 2009. Beginning in Customer Service, he transitioned to Los Banos for sales and business development in the 2011 pack season.
Exports have become increasingly important in driving the demand for California tomato paste. A growing percentage of the domestic pack is delivered outside the United States’ boundaries. Last marketing year, export volume hit record levels, and a record 23% of the paste produced in 2011 was exported.
While California reached toward record tonnage, production slumped globally. Global tomato volume dropped 10.9% from a year ago. At 33.5 million metric tons, worldwide volume dipped to its lowest level since 2006. The crop missed preseason fore‐ casts by 5% which translates to a 2 million metric ton shortfall, according to the World Processing Tomato Council’s (WPTC) preliminary results.
With the most recent tomato harvest completed, it appears California’s fields produced record setting yields resulting in the state’s second-largest crop. Preliminary numbers show vol‐ ume at just over 12.6 million tons, 5.8% above last year and 5.1% shy of the 13.3 million ton record set in 2009.
In March, David Musson made it his mission to in‐ delibly mark Morning Star tomato products on the tongues and brains of end-users. Although new to our team, David brings years of food industry experience.
