Why cherry tomatoes in Croatia now cost up to €15 per kilo

Cherry tomatoes are selling for as much as €15 per kilogram in Croatian shops, putting them at a price comparable to some cuts of veal and raising questions about what is driving the cost of the small fruit.

Cherry tomatoes have traditionally been more expensive than standard varieties, but current prices have reached levels that are difficult to explain solely through production costs.

As part of the Velika Škrtica series on Jutarnji list, journalist Dora Koretić went to find out and spoke with Pero Pušić, president of the Črleno srce tomato producers’ association in Međimurje, the main factor is that Croatia produces very little cherry tomato.

“Croatia has no tradition of growing or consuming cherry tomatoes,” Pušić said, noting that the product has only gained significant popularity over the past decade.

The technology required to grow cherry tomatoes is not significantly more complicated than for conventional varieties. However, harvesting can take longer because the fruits are smaller and more labour-intensive to pick.

Storage, transport and packaging can also add to the cost.

Unlike standard tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are rarely sold loose in shops. Their small size means that a significant proportion could be damaged or wasted if sold in bulk, according to Pušić.

As a result, producers generally sell them in 200- or 250-gram packs.

A price of €2 or €3 per pack may appear relatively affordable to consumers, but the equivalent price per kilogram can reach €15.

Croatia’s overall tomato production rose by 60 per cent last year compared with the previous year, according to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. However, official figures do not separately record cherry tomato production.

Cheaper cherry tomatoes can occasionally be found for around €7 per kilogram, but these are generally imported, including from Morocco.

Croatian-grown cherry tomatoes remain considerably more expensive, and there are currently few signs that prices will fall significantly in the near future.