Tomato market in Djibouti

Earlier Report Observations

At the start of the period, local tomato production in Djibouti was insufficient to meet demand, leading to heavy reliance on mass imports to sustain the market. This dependency kept the market volume above 11,000 t through 2019. In 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism noted an unjustified price surge for basic goods, including tomatoes, and called on traders to respect approved prices to protect household purchasing power, coinciding with a contraction in the market to 10,038 t.

The government reinforced public-private partnerships in 2021, notably through a law simplifying company creation within 72 hours, which encouraged new entrants into the agricultural and distribution sectors. By 2022, increased promotion of tourism and local products, including the organization of local artisan markets to valorize fresh produce, helped stimulate demand, contributing to a market recovery to 10,912 t.

A sharp expansion occurred in 2023, with the tomato market volume jumping to 14,561 t, a 33% increase from the previous year. This surge was primarily fueled by a substantial rise in imports, which exceeded 13,000 t, while domestic production saw modest growth. By 2024, import levels remained high at 12,898 t, alongside the emergence of small export volumes.

Production tomato in Djibouti

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of tomato, 2017-2020

World map of production of tomato, 2017-2020

Tomato production in Djibouti has been declining for three consecutive years. In 2020, the country produced 1,432 tonnes of tomatoes, which represents a 6.3% decrease compared to 2019. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production fell by 20%, translating to an annualized decline rate of 7.2%.

Annual dynamics of production in Djibouti in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports tomato from Djibouti

Exports in kind, t

In 2018, Djibouti exported just 0.1 tonnes of tomatoes, marking a sharp decline of 99.9% from the previous year.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Djibouti in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Djibouti's tomato exports were overwhelmingly concentrated on Belarus, which accounted for 99.9% of the total volume.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Djibouti in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The value of tomato exports from Djibouti in 2018 was 0.3 thousand US dollars, down by 99.7% compared to the year before.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Djibouti in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the export market was highly concentrated, with Belarus alone responsible for 99.7% of the total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Djibouti in value, 2017-2020

Imports tomato to Djibouti

Imports in kind, t

After two years of growth, tomato imports into Djibouti declined. In 2020, imports totaled 8,606 tonnes, showing a significant drop of 10.9% from 2019. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, imports decreased by 5.3%, which corresponds to an annualized rate of decline of 1.8%. The peak volume was recorded in 2019 at 9,657 tonnes, with the largest increase that year at 3.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Djibouti in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Ethiopia was the nearly exclusive supplier of tomatoes to Djibouti, accounting for 99.8% of total imports by volume.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Djibouti in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Following two years of gains, the value of tomato imports into Djibouti fell. In 2020, imports amounted to 1,881 thousand US dollars, indicating a moderate decrease of 9.8% compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports increased by 6.8%, with a compound annual growth rate of 2.2%. The highest value was in 2019 at 2,086 thousand US dollars, when the largest increase of 15.2% was recorded.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Djibouti in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017 to 2020, Ethiopia was the dominant partner for imports in value terms, representing 98.5% of the total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Djibouti in value, 2017-2020