In the growing countries of Spain, Italy and Portugal, the fields are well tilled and planting is proceeding according to plan. Industry insiders assume that sufficient tomatoes will be produced this year. In northern Italy, prices for raw produce were set shortly before Easter and are slightly below the previous year's level. Stable to high production is also expected in Spain. Bottlenecks are not expected at present. However, the current cost situation continues to cause uncertainty in the market. Fluctuating energy prices and rising transportation costs in particular are making it difficult to provide a clear price forecast for the new season. Accordingly, many market participants are still cautious when it comes to final pricing. More concrete figures are expected in the coming weeks - the first price indications should be available by mid-May. The actual harvesting and processing season will then begin at the end of July.