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Rabat – As crops worldwide have faced adverse weather conditions, Moroccan produce sourcers have had to find alternative options to cope with drops in crop volumes.
Agriculture-focused media outlet FreshPlaza quoted Moroccan sourcer Walid Goddi from the international agri-food supplier Rungis hub. “Citrus, blueberries, tomatoes, among others from Morocco are missing,” Goddi explained.
The Moroccan sourcer discredited the government’s decision to limit or prohibit tomato and potato exports, saying the decision has left sourcers with “no choice but to seek other sources.”
Morocco’s government’s efforts sought to support local purchasing power, however, this has backfired as “some crops have virtually disappeared,” Goddi noted.
Agri-hubs like Rungis have had to look abroad for products. Turkiye has been one of the alternatives, the sourcer said, explaining that the country’s supplies have remained unaffected even in the wake of the deadly earthquakes that recently hit several Turkish provinces.
With Morocco having witnessed severe dips of up to 50% in citrus fruit production compared to the season before, some sourcers are topping up the shortfall with produce from Egypt.
As summer fruit and watermelon season are around the corner, other shortages are expected since the fruit sector is only just recovering from the worst drought in three decades.
The Moroccan sourcer said Rungis has plans in place to import from Senegal or Mauritania, if necessary.
One of the main causes is climate-related problems such as “long droughts, depletion of the water table, cold snaps and phytosanitary diseases,” which are just some of the battles that Morocco’s agricultural sector has had to face, Goddi listed.
Due to the various impacts, produce volumes that come from Morocco are few and far between.
