Heat and improved methods boost Styria’s tomato harvest outlook

Farmers in Styria are expecting a strong tomato harvest this year, with hot weather and improved cultivation methods already producing good results, ORF reported.

“Tomatoes perform very well in this hot weather,” said Fritz Rauer, chairman of Styria’s vegetable growers. Farmers with sufficient water can supply their plants properly, resulting in large quantities of tomatoes with good flavour, he said.

If conditions remain favourable, the harvest could reach about 8,000 tonnes. Climate warming is also creating better growing conditions, allowing farmers to start earlier, plant sooner and heat with less energy while largely avoiding frost. Warmer autumn weather can keep the crops healthy for longer and extend the supply of fresh tomatoes.

Styria’s growers cultivate between 180 and 200 tomato varieties, ranging from sweet snack tomatoes to beef tomatoes suited to salads. The hot, sunny weather has made the tomatoes especially sweet this year. Tomatoes are the province’s most popular vegetable, with annual per-capita consumption of 32 kilograms.