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Rabat – Exporters are racing to secure watermelon harvest from Moroccan producers amid low production.
Agriculture-focused website FrshPlaza said in a new report that experts seek to secure as many quantities of watermelon products amid uncertainty about production volumes.
“Estimates are hesitant about the watermelon volumes this year in Morocco,” the website said, stressing that sources confirmed a lower volume of production compared to a year earlier.
FreshPlaza quoted one of the sources, stressing that volumes could be lower due to drought.
Growing watermelon, a water-intensive plant, requires one to two inches of water daily; the soil home to watermelon plants also needs to be always wet, according to Housing.
“There is some confusion and we are still waiting for the end of the harvest in all regions of Morocco, but I expect volumes to be lower this year because of the drought and the depletion of the water table, especially in the Souss Massa region,” Moroccan exporter of agriculture goods Soufiane Berkach told FreshPlaza.
Watermelon prices are also set to see a significant increase, with prices estimated at MAD 6 to 7.5 per a kilogram at a wholesale market near Agadir.
The report acknowledged that volumes of watermelon ready for consumption remain low.
Despite the small volume, producers already invoked contracts with importers in different countries inside and outside the EU, including France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.
This means that the local market will experience significant pressure as exporters are in the midst of securing a share in the produced watermelon to supply the international market.
Watermelon is not the only water-intensive plant that Morocco exports, with recent data showing that the country moved from being the fifth to the third largest exporter of tomatoes in the world.
Read Also: Morocco’s Water-Intensive Crops Industry Faces Questions Amid Water Shortages
Moreover, recent surveys suggest that both watermelons and tomatoes from Morocco are among the most preferred by consumers. According to FreshPlaza, Moroccan watermelon is largely demanded in the international market compared to watermelon produced in other countries like Mauritania.
“Mauritanian watermelon entered the European market earlier, and customers who are familiar with Moroccan watermelon have themselves said that Moroccan quality is better,” Barkach told FreshPlaza.
