Tomato paste is one of the most widely used seasonings in factories producing food products, restaurants and home foods. The annual consumption of this very popular seasoning in the world is approximately 40 million tons. Therefore, according to the increase in global demand, the export of tomato paste has always been increasing.
Iran has the possibility of producing tomatoes in different parts of the country all year round due to its diverse climate and four seasons. A part of this product is converted into tomato paste in many domestic factories.
The surplus of these products is exported to other parts of the world. Due to the increase in demand, especially in neighboring countries, Iran’s tomato paste exports have always been on the rise. This increase in demand has made more Iranian producers interested in exporting tomato paste. Hava Foods Commercial Group invites businessmen interested in importing tomato paste to update their information about importing the tomato paste by reading this article.
Statistics of Iranian tomato paste
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)says that Iran is one of the largest producers of summer fruits and vegetables in the world, so that Iran ranks sixth in the production of tomatoes (both outdoors and in greenhouses) and ranks fourth in the export of this product.
Due to its diverse climate, Iran has always been among the top 10 tomato-producing countries in the world. Tomatoes are grown almost all year round in different parts of Iran and this is thanks to Iran’s 4 seasons. For example, in hot seasons, cold regions such as Khorasan, Zanjan, and Golestan and in cold seasons, in tropical regions such as Fars and Bushehr produce tomatoes.
The latest published statistics on the production of agricultural products show that during the year 2020-2021, about 175 thousand hectares out of 18 million hectares of agricultural land in Iran were under tomato cultivation, in this way, 40 tons of tomatoes were produced per hectare.
For this reason, every year about 7 million tons of this product is cultivated in the agricultural lands of Iran and sent to the consumption markets.
However, during the past years, we have seen the increase in the cultivation of this product and the acceptance of farmers, that is why the field for the export of this product has always been available.
Of course, another part of this product is transformed into tomato paste and sauce in processing factories, and after that exported all around the world.
The private sector in Iran believes that every year 30% of the 600 thousand tons of tomato paste produced in our country is sent to other countries, in other words, we can say that about 170 thousand tons of tomato paste are exported from the country every year.
In this way, Iran is self-sufficient in the field of tomato paste production and the surplus production of 145 tomato paste factories is exported to other countries.
Export of Iranian tomato paste to 56 countries
Tomato paste is known in global customs with HS Code number 200290.
During these years, Austria, Armenia, Australia, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, England, Ukraine, Italy, Iceland, Germany, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Djibouti, Romania, Japan, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Switzerland, Sweden, Serbia and Montenegro, Iraq, Oman, Ghana, Russia, France, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Canada, Kenya, Kuwait, Georgia, Lebanon, Poland, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, Niger, New Zealand, Netherlands, Honduras, Venezuela, Yemen, Greece have been 56 destinations of Iranian factories’ tomato paste.
This statistic shows that Iran’s tomato paste has been exported to all continents except South America and has serious customers, especially from Europe and neighboring countries.
BRIX in Tomato Paste
For the export of tomato paste, there is a specific criterion called “BRIX”. Brix shows the concentration of ingredients in tomato paste compared to water. The higher the Brix number, the thicker the tomato paste and the better its quality.
To produce thicker and better quality tomato paste, more tomatoes should be consumed. Interestingly, the storage conditions of tomato paste in metal or glass cans depend on the Brix number for it. For example, if the package is a glass or can, the standard Brix number is between 16 and 27. If the tomato paste is transported in bulk and in barrels, the Brix number should vary between 38 and 40.
The concentration or brix of tomato paste is the main factor that determines the price of the product. In this context, you should choose the concentration of the paste according to the price and the target community in the country. In Iran, paste with different BRIX is produced in different factories. According to the request of foreign customers, paste with Brix 10 to 40 is produced and exported for them.
Attention to BRIX in the export of Iranian Tomato Paste
A very important point that should be taken into account in the export of tomato paste is the BRIX index of the target country for export. The higher the Brix index, the thicker and better the quality of the paste. Therefore, the thicker the tomato paste, the more tomatoes are used to produce it. For example, to prepare 10 tons of tomato paste with a Brix index of 20, about 40 tons of tomatoes are used. While to prepare the same amount of tomato paste with a Brix index of 38, approximately 70 tons of tomatoes are needed to have. The Brix index is actually the concentration standard required by the customer, which producers and exporters of tomato paste must pay attention to. The BRIX index of three major countries that import tomato paste from Iran is: Afghanistan is equal to 10, Iraq is between 18 and 20, and Russia is between 32 and 38. It should be noted that the BRIX index also affects the packaging of tomato paste. Tomato paste with a Brix index between 16 and 27 should be packaged in a jar or can. Tomato paste with a Brix index between 38 and 40 is transported in bulk or in barrels.
Packaging of Tomato Paste for export
According to their market consumption, customers order sachet, can, glass, and even bulk or aseptic packaging in different weights.
Aseptic Tomato Paste
Today, there is a common food packaging method called aseptic, which has many fans. In aseptic method, food is produced in a short time and under a vacuum so that its quality is well maintained. These products are packaged in sterilized bags or large containers and have a long shelf life without the need for refrigeration. Aseptic tomato paste has a shelf life of 2 to 3 years. It should be noted that aseptic tomato paste is produced only for export, not domestic consumption in Iran. The weight and packaging material also depends on the customer’s order.
Count on us
As mentioned above, more than 145 tomato paste production units are active in Iran. Each of the production units produces tomato paste with different BRIX and qualities. In addition, the amount of production of the factories is different, so that it may be necessary to supply from several factories to supply some of the volumes requested by the customers.
We as Hava Foods Commercial Group, with experience in exporting Iranian food products to all around the world, are ready to provide you with tomato paste with the specifications you want.
Our effort is to provide export tomato paste with high quality and competitive price with desired specifications of our dear customers.
To supply tomato paste in brix and different packages, it is enough to send an LOI to our email address.
Our experts will contact you as soon as possible.
