Egypt produced over 10.2 million tonnes of tomatoes at its 2009 peak, topping Africa for 63 straight years

  • Egypt led every single year from 1961 to the most recent year — 63 years of dominance.
  • Egypt peaked at over 10.2 million tonnes in 2009, no other African country came close.
  • As of 2023, Egypt ranked 5th globally, just ahead of Italy and behind the US.
  • Nigeria hit its highest level in 2015, with 4.2 million tonnes.
  • Nigeria was the only country that got within 1.5 million tonnes of Egypt in 13 different years.
  • Countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia remained consistent but far behind Egypt and Nigeria.
  • Egypt’s lead is backed by large-scale irrigation and strong export systems.
  • In 1987, Africa supplied 11.7% of the world’s tomatoes. But by 2023, its share dropped to 8.8%.

No country has owned African tomato production like Egypt. It has led for 63 straight years, covering the entire period tracked by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, from 1961 to 2023. Egypt peaked in 2009 with over 10.2 million tonnes. Nigeria came closest, especially between 2008 and 2019, peaking at 4.2 million tonnes in 2015 and narrowing the gap to under 1.5 million tonnes in 13 different years.

While Egypt had irrigation, exports, and processing on lock, Nigeria’s rise leaned on local production in states like Kano and Kaduna but hit the usual hurdles: poor storage, weak logistics, and lack of processing. Egypt’s dominance is rooted in major tomato-producing regions like Nubaria, Beheira, and Ismailia — areas known for large-scale farming, fertile soils, and modern irrigation.

According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Africa once made up 11.7% of global tomato output in 1987. By 2023, that had dropped to 8.8%. That year, Egypt ranked 5th globally and Nigeria 10th, the only sub-Saharan African country in the top 20.

Source:

Food and Agriculture organization of the UN

Period:

1961-2023
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