Moroccan Farmers Destroy Vegetable Crops Amid Plummeting Demand

Significant quantities of tomatoes rotting due to the drop in demand have been destroyed by these farmers in the Doukkala region. "Not only has the price of tomatoes plummeted, but farmers have been forced to destroy them in large quantities," writes Assabah. Farmers have also been forced to get rid of other vegetables such as peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers which, stored under non-compliant conditions, have started to rot due to low demand.

This situation is only recorded on the farms, says the daily, which specifies that in the wholesale markets, vegetable prices are still rising. Bought between 50 cents and 80 cents on the farm, the tomato, for example, is sold at 2.5 or even 4 dirhams on the wholesale market. The coincidence between the harvest period and Eid al-Adha, a period when demand generally drops in the wholesale markets, could also explain this situation.

The Doukkala farmers told the daily that they have not sold any fruit or vegetable for a month. Exporters of these products are experiencing the same situation. They are having difficulty selling them on foreign markets. For a few months now, Moroccan fruits and vegetables have been unwanted in certain European countries. Trucks of Moroccan tomatoes have thus been attacked in France and Spain. To all this is added a disorganization of the sector, particularly with regard to the distribution of products.