Rabat – The Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetable Exporting Producers (APEFEL) has announced its plans to double tomato exports amid the ongoing water scarcity crisis.
The source added that the tomato exports would be directed to traditional markets in Europe and Russia as well as new African markets where Moroccan tomatoes are gaining popularity.
Moroccan tomato exports reached 670,000 tonnes in the 2021-2022 season, up by 19% compared to the previous season.
According to APEFEL’s Director Laraisse Esserghini, Moroccan tomato producers are ready to make up for the reduced European supply of greenhouse tomatoes, which are facing a shortage due to the energy crisis.
The Moroccan producers plan to capitalize on the production crisis in Europe by responding to the rising demand for tomatoes while maintaining “high-quality products and affordable prices for consumers.”
However, the water crisis in Morocco is representing a challenge to the local production of water-intensive crops such as tomatoes, citrus, watermelons, and avocados.
Esserghini suggested that the introduction of “climate-controlled” greenhouses could help Moroccan producers “make a qualitative leap in production assets” despite the scarcity of water resources.
“Improving the global market reach of Moroccan producers is only possible by improving production structures in a sustainable way,” he explained, adding that the modernization of local production and greenhouses requires significant investments.
“It is a huge investment, but we have the capacity to achieve it if we are supported to invest in more performant greenhouses by the Moroccan government and are reassured by our markets in Europe through an eventual agreement with the European Union,” Esserghini added.
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The increase in Moroccan tomato production is likely to trigger uproar among European farmers, particularly among competitors in Spain and France, who have repeatedly condemned the importation of Moroccan fruits and vegetables by EU member states. European farmers have also often questioned the quality of Moroccan products.
Esserghini, however, argued that Morocco produces quality agricultural output that is “well-known” in the industry.
He further predicted that competition with French and Spanish farmers is going to persist with Moroccan producers remaining “able to maintain prices cheaper than the European price level.” This provides a competitive advantage to low-cost Moroccan tomatoes.
In September, Spanish agriculture-focused daily Hortoinfo reported that Morocco is quickly catching up to Spain in terms of their Iberian tomato exports, adding that “this development could occur in 2022 for the first time in history.”
The source added that Spain was exporting more than double the amount as Morocco exported 10 years ago. However, Madrid’s advantage fell to 5.2% in 2021.
