You say tomato, we say statistics

Let’s call the whole thing off—you just want to have a toasted tomato sandwich instead of reading this, don’t you? But if you have a minute, shall we dance around some key numbers about this venerable fruit?

Firstly, you might be surprised that the tomato is second only to the potato (5.6 million tonnes in 2022) as the most-produced vegetable or fruit in Canada.

In 2022, there were 528,277 tonnes in marketed production of fresh tomatoes in Canada, topping apples (376,023 tonnes), fresh carrots (336,566 tonnes), and fresh dry onions (277,171 tonnes).

The 629,432 tonnes of fresh tomatoes produced in 2005 was the largest nationwide crop on record. That year also saw 20,485 acres planted, but 1996—when we started tracking the current data series— was the year in which the most acres were planted (25,538).

Ontario produced nearly all (97.6%) of 2022’s tomato haul, with Quebec and British Columbia also chipping in.

Hot house

The 294.0 million kilograms of fresh tomatoes produced in Canada’s greenhouses topped all fruits and vegetables grown inside in 2022, ahead of fresh cucumbers (272.5 million kilograms) and peppers (156.9 million kilograms).

From vine to assembly line

A lot of homegrown tomatoes head for the factory before they end up on a kitchen table in Canada, or on one abroad.

In 2021, the fruit and vegetable canning, pickling and drying industry reported $2.9 billion in revenue, up slightly from 2020.

Products the industry produces include ketchup, tomato paste, canned soups and juices, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables.

In 2022, Canada exported 191.0 million kilograms of fresh or chilled tomatoes, valued at $611.7 million. In the same year, 30.9 million kilograms of ketchup and other tomato sauces were exported, valued at $71.9 million.