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Rabat – As the debate around water-intensive crops in Morocco continues, Parliament Member Fatima Tamni has directed a written question to the country’s Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Sadiki around the continued export of avocados, another water-intensive crop.
Citing reports that Morocco has exported 45,000 tonnes of avocado to European countries, the politician who belongs to the Federation of the Democratic Left questioned the government’s strategy when it comes to said crops.
“Everyone knows that avocados are considered one of the most water-intensive fruits and vegetables, as scientific reports confirm that each kilogram of the aforementioned crop consumes more than 1,000 liters of water,” Tamni asserted in her written question.
“Therefore, 45,000 tonnes of avocados would consume more than 40 billion liters of water which Moroccans would have otherwise used for their daily needs,” she continued.
Read also: Abdelghani Chehbouni: Managing Water Is Like Managing Your Bank Account
The MP further drew attention to Morocco’s place as one of the top avocado importers worldwide, adding that various environmental groups and activists have warned against its effects on the country’s currency predicament surrounding water scarcity.
Tamni added that groups of interest have recommended other vegetables and fruits that consume less water but can still be exported in a way that doesn’t harm Morocco’s dwindling water resources.
She concluded her document by asking the minister what measures the government intends to take to counter the growing water crisis and how the ministry will replace the water-intensive crops with less wasteful ones.
Earlier in August, agriculture-focused outlet EastFruit noted that Morocco’s avocado industry has been growing over the past few years despite the water threat, noting that the North African country is currently the ninth largest avocado exporter in the world.
