While producers and exporters worked hard to prepare for the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign, nature was far from being kind. In addition to structural problems such as drought, the country recorded an all-time temperature record of 50 degrees Celsius, followed by the strongest earthquake in a century. How will this impact the season? We ask Mostapha Mohattan, a Moroccan fresh produce exporter.
"The weather conditions were already difficult last year, but we still managed to contain the damage and close a rather satisfactory campaign. This year, things look even more complicated," warns Mostapha.
"First of all, we had an extreme heatwave accompanied by strong and scorching winds. It hit the Souss Massa region, which is home to the majority of early vegetables exported to Europe. Greenhouse crops have been particularly impacted, with devastating consequences for certain products and growers. We cannot quantify the extent of the damage, some producers lost part and others all of their areas and had to replant."
"Fortunately, planting was delayed for some producers due to difficulties in supplying certain seeds, and they started working after the heatwave. Another difficulty that marks the start of this season is the rise in fuel prices that Morocco experienced recently, which suggests an increase in costs for producers," adds the exporter.
The most affected products, according to Mostapha, are early vegetables: peppers and chili peppers of all varieties. "But the drop in exported volumes will not affect all buyers," specifies Mostapha. "European importers who already have contracts and partnerships with Moroccan producers are guaranteed to receive normal volumes with perhaps a slight delay. Importers who do not have contracts will have to source products of Moroccan origin or other origins from the major European fruit and vegetable markets such as the Saint Charles market in Perpignan or that of Barendrecht in the Netherlands, for example."
The delay in crop replacement and campaign launch will reach approximately one month, according to Mostapha's estimates, which concurs with previous estimates received by FreshPlaza.
As for the earthquake, it will not have an impact on volumes since it will mainly affect small-scale producers, but it could significantly cause complications in operations. "The earthquake took away many lives, directly or indirectly linked to the agricultural sector. There are no words capable of alleviating such pain, but all my thoughts and those of the entire FRUCTIMOOR team go to the victims and their families of this tragedy." Many producers fear the earthquake will impact labor supply.
"However, we do our best to supply the market, Moroccan producers have extended experience under difficult circumstances and will prove to be up to the situation," says Mostapha.
"At FRUCTIMOOR, we have extended our network to more than 40 Moroccan producers, and part of our team based in Souss Massa is mobilized to welcome importers wishing to visit the region and the plantations. Two of our salespeople are currently traveling across Europe to discuss the needs of our customers and partners for next season, and are also in the process of concluding new contracts with new customers in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark to avoid product shortages."
Mostapha gives a (late) rendez-vous to customers, "Notice to supermarkets and importers, we start the campaign in October with the long "kappia" red peppers certified Global GAP, SMETA, and BRC. We're able to export two full trucks per week until the end of the campaign."
For more information:
Mostafa Mohattan
Fructimoor
Tel.: +33659752318 / +212656873543
Email: [email protected]
www.fructimoor.com