The storm that hit Zagora on May 1st interrupted a Moroccan watermelon campaign in full swing, but its impact is temporary, and exporters will be back on the market within a few days, according to Mourad Seghieri, CEO of Romana Fruits.
The exporter reports a dynamic campaign for watermelons until the storm's arrival: "Zagora's watermelons, which are highly appreciated in Europe, arrived in better quality this year, with a predominance of medium sizes of 10-13 kg while large sizes of 14+ kg were not available. The flow of exports was steady, and prices were satisfactory for both exporters and customers. The sector has been very busy and we've seen a real craze for watermelons, even if demand in Europe was fluctuating and sensitive to temperatures."
"Immediately after the storm, volumes available for export dropped, and prices rose by 30%. However, it took one to two weeks for this increase to be felt on the European market, due to the availability of watermelons already being shipped. The storm came at an unfortunate time, just before the harvest peak, and destroyed vast areas of very good fruit. We can speak of a major accident for the campaign, but things will return to normal in a few days," Seghieri continues.
After Zagora's window, it's now the turn of Taroudant, Agadir and later Chichaoua to take up the torch. Seghieri says, "Zagora's watermelons are certainly more famous. Still, those from the center of the country have nothing to envy. Growers in the Taroudant, Chichawa, and Agadir regions have more professional and advanced farming operations and larger acreage. This translates into larger sizes and better quality, without marbling, as well as better prices. The campaign will get off to a fresh start, much to the satisfaction of our clients."
As for cantaloupes, they are enjoying an exceptionally good season, according to the exporter: "The Easter festivities stimulated demand in Europe, and we obtained very good prices. What's new this season is that Moroccan cantaloupes are still present on the market. Usually, demand drops just after the Easter peak of interest with the arrival of French melons. This year, we're seeing that Moroccan cantaloupes are still present on international markets in France and holding their own against local production. It's mainly due to an improvement in the quality of Moroccan cantaloupes."
"The campaign will continue until July, with a cascade of harvests as we move northwards. I think the season will continue to be dynamic thanks to a warm summer in Europe and good quality at origin," the exporter concludes.
Pour plus d'informations :
Mouradh Seghieri
Romana Fruits
Tel: +212 655577028 / +212 637080010
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
www.romanafruits.com