Tomato harvest starts across Victoria as processors look to restock after COVID panic-buying

In northern Victoria and southern New South Wales, canning-tomato growers are starting to harvest what has been a bumper crop.

Canning tomatoes are specific varieties, bred to become tomato paste, passata, sauces, and tinned tomatoes.

They are in higher demand after panic buying during the COVID-19 pandemic stripped supermarket shelves.

At Lake Boga, near Swan Hill, the harvest of Australia’s only crop of organic canning tomatoes is underway.

This is the third year that organic tomatoes have been grown on the 9,000-hectare property that also produces cotton, plums, cereals and conventional tomatoes.

“We’ve had challenges in the past so we are happy with how this crop is looking,” said selling agent Richard Furphy of Wedgetail…