Rabat – The uproar resulting from soaring prices and limited supplies has not prevented Morocco from increasing its onion exports, new data shows.
Agriculture-focused website FreshPlaza said Morocco has increased its onion exports in the nine months from June 2022 to February 2023.
During the aforementioned period, Morocco exported over 65,000 tonnes of onions, 5,000 more than the same period in the 2021-2022 campaign.
The country’s onion exports have increased six-fold over the past five years, the website added.
The increase in onion exports made the product Morocco’s third largest vegetable export after tomatoes and bell peppers.
“Onion exports usually peak in July-August and turn to a minimum after February,” FreshPlaza said, noting that Morocco’s exporters focus on Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, and other African markets.
European markets are also among the country’s customers, including the Netherlands, where a third of Moroccan onion export goes.
The volume received by the Netherlands pales in comparison to African markets, however.
According to FreshPlaza, Mali and Mauritania receive 28% and 26% of Morocco’s onion exports respectively, while Senegal receives 16%.
“Morocco is now the largest exporter of onions to Mali and ranks second among onion suppliers in Senegal and Mauritania,” the site added.
Onions have been among the hardest-to-get vegetables for several months with prices in local markets skyrocketing due to the limited supplies.
During the holy month of Ramadan and even some weeks before, onion prices were at least MAD 13 per kilogram, causing concerns among low and average-income citizens.
Amid these concerns, the North African country’s government pledged to halt exports of several vegetables including tomatoes, onions, and potatoes to prevent prices from surging further.
Despite said pledges, vegetable prices have continued to increase, with suppliers attributing the situation to distributors due to fuel prices increases, lack of rainfall, and drought.
