Brazil includes industrial tomato in climate risk zoning program

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) has officially included irrigated industrial tomato production in the National Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc) program. Established via Ordinance No. 378, the measure identifies the most favorable planting periods across various municipalities to mitigate risks from adverse climatic events.

The zoning aims to assist producers, financial institutions, and insurers in agricultural planning and access to public credit and rural insurance policies. Unlike table tomatoes intended for fresh consumption, the industrial tomato sector is highly standardized, utilizing mechanized sprinkler irrigation, hybrid cultivars, and mechanized harvesting. This technical uniformity allows a single zoning study to effectively cover the entire sector.

Brazil is among the world's ten largest tomato producers. In 2025, the country produced 1.88 million tons of tomato for industrial use, a segment that accounts for 40% of the nation's total tomato volume and supplies raw materials for pastes, extracts, and sauces.