Drought Threatens Morocco’s Watermelon Industry Amid Water Restrictions

The Moroccan watermelon is in difficulty, "in a context of deep water stress and an unprecedented drought year for four decades", to which are added the production restrictions imposed by the Moroccan government in certain regions of the country, reports Fresh Plaza. Currently, the only production available on the market is that of the Zagora region, which is experiencing a rather particular situation.

"As Zagora is the most limited region, we can reasonably think that there is a lack of volume. The local government has reduced the cultivation area to 1.5 hectares per producer. However, the market situation is quite different, with abundant volumes and insufficient demand. This is due to the multiplication of producers in response to the restriction of the cultivation area per producer," explains a producer from the region.

Another producer announces "significant volumes very soon, when the other regions have finished their harvests", adding that several producers have dedicated "large areas to the production" of this fruit and that "new investors are entering the sector, encouraged by the success of last year".

For a third producer from the Souss-Massa region, "the end of the watermelon season looks difficult for producers and exporters, with surplus volumes and falling prices." And to specify: "We remain optimistic and hope for an improvement in demand as soon as temperatures rise in Europe, especially in a context of declining Spanish volumes..."