The tomato season in Agadir ended early this year, marked by technical and commercial difficulties. The shortage is being felt in the market, with prices soaring on the local market and European importers, particularly British ones, continuing to seek suppliers.
Ghizlane Adnani, commercial director at Orisud, says: "We finished our supermarket programs very early, in the second week of March. The vast majority of our fellow growers in Agadir finished in early May. This early closure was due to production issues related to unfavorable temperatures and flaws in the detection of the ToBRFV virus, which required overly intensive treatment. It was better to stop and wait for the next cycle in September. That said, there is still some late production in the Agadir."
The exporter reports a difficult campaign, marked by the ongoing situation of conflict surrounding Moroccan tomatoes in Europe. She says, "We experienced many unjustified delays in getting our tomatoes through Spanish customs. This meant more congestion at ports and higher costs, which also affected the campaign from a commercial point of view."
The current situation is such that there are very few Moroccan tomatoes on the market, according to Adnani. Another exporter in the region reports a flood of requests from European importers, particularly those in the UK, indicating a gap left in the market.
Tomato prices are also skyrocketing on the local Moroccan market. Adnani says, "The volumes of tomatoes coming from open fields and destined for the local market are arriving late this year and have not yet reached their peak. There are harvests in Souss Massa and neighboring regions, but we will have to wait for the rest of the growers nationwide to follow suit with significant harvests in terms of volume."
For more information:
Ghizlane Adnani
Orisud
Tel: +212661149822
Email: [email protected]