Which EU countries are fresh produce powerhouses? 

Europe is well-known for its fresh produce, from San Marzano tomatoes to sweet Belgian pears. But how much fruit and vegetables does the European Union harvest, and which countries produce the largest quantities?

The EU produced 62.2 million tonnes of vegetables in 2024, according to recent Eurostat data. This marks a 6% increase from the 58.8 million tonnes harvested in 2023. 

Spain is the top vegetable producer, at 14.8 million tonnes, up from 13.5 million tonnes in 2023. It has been the top producer of vegetables for the past 10 years.

Spain is closely followed by Italy, at 13.9 million tonnes.

All other EU countries produced significantly smaller harvests. France is in third place, at 5.8 million tonnes. The EU's top three vegetable producers account for 55% of the total harvest. 

The top five is rounded out by Poland with 5.23 million tonnes and the Netherlands with 5.1 million tonnes.

On the other side of the scale are Luxembourg (10,530 tonnes), Estonia (28,210 tonnes) and Malta (45,770 tonnes).

The production of several key vegetables increased across the EU compared to 2023. Tomato production was up by 5%, at 16.8 million tonnes. Carrot production rose by 6% to 4.7 million tonnes, and onion production was 11% higher at 7 million tonnes.

Italy is the biggest producer of tomatoes. Its 6 million tonnes harvested in 2024 accounted for over one-third (36%) of the total harvest of this product. The country has been the top tomato producer since records began.

Meanwhile, Germany produced the most carrots (850,580 tonnes), accounting for 18% of the EU's total carrot harvest. Previously, Poland held the top spot until 2019.

Finally, the Dutch produced about a quarter (26%) of the EU's harvested onions, with 1.8 million tonnes.

Italy tops fruit production ranking

In 2024, the EU produced 24.3 million tonnes of fruits, berries and nuts (excluding citrus fruits, grapes and strawberries), marking a 2% drop compared to the 2023 harvest of 24.72 million tonnes.

In this ranking, Italy landed the first spot as the top fruit producer, yielding 5.4 million tonnes of fruit, up from 4.95 million tonnes in 2023.

It was followed by Spain (4.3 million tonnes) and Poland (4.1 million tonnes). The top three producers accounted for more than half (57%) of the EU's fruit harvest. 

Apples are by far the most harvested fruit in the EU, with 11.6 million tonnes being produced. Poland accounted for 29% of the total yield (3.39 million tonnes). Italy and France are other major apple producers, harvesting 2.4 million tonnes and 1.99 million tonnes, respectively, in 2024.

Almost 2 million tonnes (1.9 million tonnes) of pears were produced across the EU in 2024. Italy was the top pear producer, accounting for almost a quarter (24%) of the EU total.

Finally, the EU harvested 2.2 million tonnes of peaches. Spain (37%), Italy (33%) and Greece (21%) together accounted for 91% of the total harvest.