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Rabat – Morocco’s decision to reduce tomato exports to Europe is putting pressure on UK retailers who are struggling to fill supermarket shelves.
Morocco’s government decided to reduce tomato exports after citizens protested rises in the product’s prices ahead of Ramadan.
Tomatoes are widely used during the holy month of Ramadan, during which Moroccans use them regularly to prepare famous dishes — including Harira soup.
Alex Margerison Smith, marketing and insights manager for Keelings International reported gaps on the “shelves of retailers,” citing Morocco’s tomato exports curb, Fresh Produce Journal (FPJ) said on Wednesday.
Keelings International is a major tomato supplier to UK retailers.
Smith told FPJ that UK retailers have increased the “amount imported from Morocco.”
Earlier this month, the UK embassy in Rabat said that Moroccan foods are “increasingly present on “British plates.”
Sharing data, the UK’s representation emphasized that 32.8% of all UK imports from Morocco in 2020 were fruits and vegetables.
Around 25% of tomatoes consumed in the United Kingdom come from Morocco.
The Moroccan government acknowledged a sharp increase in tomato prices, affecting households’ purchase power.
Tomato prices range between MAD 10 to 12.
The government cited rising international demand for tomatoes, reassuring citizens that it will enact a number of measures to keep consumer prices in check ahead of Ramadan.
