Delivery bottlenecks: canned tomatoes are in danger of becoming scarce

This article first appeared on RTL.de.

Aldi, Lidl and Edeka are threatening to run out of canned tomatoes. According to “Lebensmittel Zeitung”, hamster purchases meet a shortage of glass bottles and cans. In addition, farmers in Italy are now using part of the acreage differently.

Wholesaler Otto Franck: “Delivery cuts for all customers”

Anyone who likes to make spaghetti bolognese or pizza usually has canned tomatoes in the pantry. But there is a risk of delivery bottlenecks. Because “the tomato market has finally arrived in a kind of escalation,” wholesaler Otto Franck told the “Lebensmittel Zeitung” last week. Some suppliers had already announced “that delivery cuts would have to be made for all customers”.

Canning manufacturer Hengstenberg: “Cultivation areas are being converted”

Because of the war in Ukraine, it’s not just containers for tinned tomatoes that are becoming scarce. A number of cultivated areas in Italy are also being converted. The managing director of the German canning company Hengstenberg, Andreas Reimer, said: “The acreage in Italy is falling by about 10 percent, partly because farmers are opting for other crops”. Cereals in particular are currently in demand in order to be able to produce staple foods such as bread and pasta.

Raw tomatoes are already 18 percent more expensive – price increases are also expected for consumers

“There will be significant cost increases for canned tomatoes, which we will have to pass on to retailers,” Reimer continues. The price of the raw tomatoes from northern Italy alone is already 18 percent higher than last year. According to the report, the Italian manufacturer Mutti also announced price increases, which are usually at least partially passed on to customers.