The peak (early fruits and vegetables) period in Morocco will soon come to the end of. Exporters and producers deplore the difficult season, which is characterized by harsh weather conditions along with water crises, general costs, and the restriction on production of specific products and export other products.
Asmaa Baibane is the director of exports of Agadir-based packing company BL Agri, said: “In general, the agriculture year has been tough as it has experienced severe dryness and bad weather. This directly affects the quantity of early crop and are down from the year before.” BL Agri exports mainly hot peppers and sweet peppers as well as cucumbers, zucchini as well as green beans to customers from Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
The severity of the decrease differs for each product and ranges from 25% for all varieties of tomatoes up to 60% for citrus. Certain varieties are more vulnerable like the tomato in vein, with volumes dropping by 60% or Nadorcott with a drop of 40 to 60 percent, according producer sources.
The closing of the first season signals the start of the fruit season in summer such as melons and watermelons however, in this particular sector as well, the time will be challenging: “Watermelon production has been prohibited within the state of Tata and restricted only to Zagora and Zagora, which has led to an decrease in production for the same products.”
The strong demand has reduced the losses. Baibane states: “We have had great demand for the primeur vegetable from Western Europe. The UK has also been expanding its market more. Due to the lack of offers which has pushed rates higher than last year.”
Customers from Europe have been compensated for less Moroccan volume by buying other sources like Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey, Baibane concluded.
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Ms. Asmaa Baibane
B Agri
Tel. : +212 661-060466
Email: sales@bl-agri.com
www.bl-agri.com
Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies