THE ACREAGE OF TOMATOES GROWN IN GLASSHOUSES IN TURKEY

• The total acreage of tomatoes grown commercially in glasshouses in Turkey is 120,680.33 acres.
• Turkey is the fifth country in the greenhouse field with 71,400 hectares land area, broken down into 62,884 hectares of vegetables, 7,164 hectares of fruit, and 1,355-hectare area of ornamental plants.
• The area under cover cultivation comprises 12% glass greenhouse, 48% plastic greenhouse, 25% low tunnel, and 15% high tunnel.
•  71,400 hectares is equivalent to 176,433 acres.
• About 35% of the general production area in Turkey's greenhouse in Antalya.
•  Eight million tons of vegetables and fruits are grown under covers. 45% of tomatoes, 60% of cucumber, and 25% of pepper are grown under covers.
•  95% of the total vegetables and fruits (excluding flowers) grown in greenhouses are vegetables, and 5% are fruits. Tomato comprises 55% of vegetable production.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

CALCULATIONS

GLASSHOUSE ACREAGE

• According to the Rabobank's World Vegetable Map (WVM) 2018, the total global cultivation area of vegetables in greenhouses was 500,000 hectares (1,25 million acres) in 2016.
• The report states that about 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of the greenhouse cultivation is done in glasshouses and the rest in plastic greenhouses. Hence, about 8% of the global vegetables are cultivated in the glasshouses and the rest in plastic greenhouses.
•  Rabobank's WVM 2018 highlights the regional proportion of glasshouses vs. plastic greenhouses across the world. Additionally, it categorizes the countries with less than 10% of glasshouses as 'mainly plastic.'
• According to the Rabobank report, China had about 82,000 hectares (205,000 acres) of greenhouse vegetable cultivation area in 2016; further, it states that greenhouses in China mainly comprise plastic greenhouses. Hence, the proportion of glasshouses in China is found to be less than 10% of the total greenhouse acreage in the country.
• Another report by Cuesta Roble Consulting states that only 9% of the global greenhouses are covered in glass and the rest is covered in plastic. Further, it confirms that China has less than 1% of glasshouses, rest being plastic greenhouses.

CHINA GREENHOUSE ACREAGE

• According to a recent press release by the Beijing Kingpeng International Agriculture Corporation; greenhouses comprised about 3.8 million hectares (9.5 million acres) of cultivation area in China in 2018. Further, it states that nearly 35% of all vegetables in China are grown in greenhouses.
• Also, a research report by The University of Rhode Island estimates the total area under greenhouse cultivation in China to be about 3.3 million hectares (8.3 million acres).

TOMATO CULTIVATION

• According to a recent report by FreshPlaza, tomatoes are cultivated globally on more than 5 million hectares (12.5 million acres) of arable land.
• In 2017, the global production of tomatoes stood at 180 million tonnes; China accounted for nearly 33% of the global production with 59.51 million tonnes.
• In China, the tomatoes were grown on more than 1.03 million hectares (2.57 million acres) of arable land in 2017.

TOMATO CULTIVATION IN GREENHOUSES

• About 35% of all vegetables in China are produced in greenhouses. Hence, about 360,500 hectares (899,500 acres) of tomato cultivation area belongs to greenhouses. (1.03 million hectares x 35%)
• Further, the glasshouses comprise only about less than 1% of the total greenhouse acreage in China. Hence, about 3,605 hectares (8,995 acres) of tomatoes are annually cultivated in glasshouses in China.

HELPFUL INSIGHTS

• In China, about 30 million people are employed in growing vegetables in greenhouses.
• Shandong province produces about 1/7 of the nation's total vegetables and fruits production.
• Shandong has the largest vegetable sowing area in China, and comprise about 1/4 of the total greenhouses in the country with an area of about 973,333 hectares (2.43 million acres).

RESEARCH STRATEGY

• Total acreage of tomatoes in glasshouses = [Total acres of tomato cultivation x 35% (cultivated in greenhouses)] x 1% (cultivated in glasshouses)
• Total acreage of tomatoes in greenhouses = 2.57 million acres x 35% = 899,500 acres
• Total acreage of tomatoes in glasshouses = 899,500 acres x 1% = 8,995 acres.