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> Home > Foodservice
> Regulatory > Retail
> Tomato 101 > Facts
& Sizes
Florida Tomato Facts and Sizes
As of November 6, 2000, tomatoes from Florida will follow new size diameters and classifications. New size information follows:
| Diameter in Inches |
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| Size Classification | Minimum | Maximum | |
| 6 x 7 (formerly Medium) |
2-9/32 | 2-19/32 | |
| 6 x 6 (formerly Large) |
2-17/32 | 2-29/32 | |
| 5 x 6 (formerly Extra Large) |
2-25/32 | ||
FLORIDA TOMATO FACTS |
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| The Florida tomato growers have
provided this information from the 2006-07 season |
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| Production | Florida growers harvested approximately
39,000 acres of tomatoes for the fresh market during the 2006-07 season.
Less than one percent of Florida tomato production is used for processing
each year. Except for a few experimental plots, all of Florida’s tomatoes are hand picked. Florida shipped in interstate commerce over 1.3 billion pounds of tomatoes (52,505,687-25 lb. packages). |
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| Farm Value | Total value at the farm level exceeded 403 million
dollars. The average price per pound at the farm level for the season was approximately 31 cents ($7.69 per 25-lb. package). This figure varied from a low of 16 cents per pound in December, to a high of 64 cents per pound in May. |
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| Cost Per Acre | The total cost of producing and harvesting tomatoes in Florida varies between the different growing areas, with an average of more than 11,600 dollars per acre. | |
| Labor | Florida tomato growers hire about 33,000 workers during peak periods each year. Growers adhere to strict laws regarding worker safety in both the field and in the packinghouse. | |
| Regulations | Florida tomato shipments are regulated by a Federal Marketing Order that controls grade, size, quality and maturity standards. | |
| Market Share | Florida produces virtually the entire fresh market field-grown tomatoes in the United States from December through May each year, and accounts for about 50 percent of all of the domestically produced fresh tomatoes in the United States each year. | |
| Imports/Exports | Canada is the primary export destination for Florida
tomatoes. Florida competes with imports from Mexico during most of the season. Exports to Mexico are minimal. |
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| Research / Technology | The Florida Tomato Industry invests tens of thousands of dollars each year in research. Primary goals are improving agricultural practices and establishing new varieties that have improved consumer appeal. | |
| Environment | Florida tomato growers are continually adapting new environmentally beneficial technologies including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and micro-irrigation systems. These innovations are reducing growers’ use of chemicals and have drastically reduced water usage. | |
| Consumption | For 2006, USDA's Economic Research Service reported
per capita tomato consumption at 19.9 pounds of tomatoes per person. Each year, fresh tomatoes rank in the top three in consumer preference of vegetables in the supermarket produce department - contributing 7 to 10 percent of total produce department sales. |
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| Storage | Botanically, tomatoes are fruits and should be
treated like bananas during the ripening process. They should not
be refrigerated below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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| Nutrition | One medium tomato (148 g) contains only 25 calories, supplies 40 percent of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (U.S. RDA) of vitamin C and 20 percent of vitamin A, some of which is in the form of beta-carotene. Tomatoes also contain lycopene. Tomatoes also contain 1g of dietary fiber, about as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread. Tomatoes provide potassium, iron, phosphorous and some B vitamins. They are low in sodium and contain no cholesterol. | |
