Moroccan Produce Prices Soar Amid Pandemic and Supply Chain Disruptions

According to the clarifications of a fruit and vegetable trader, the phenomenon has intensified since the opening of direct access in March last year to large stores, without mandatory passage through the wholesale markets.

As a consequence, the conversion of several neighborhood businesses into fruit and vegetable merchants. Unsurprisingly, product prices have experienced an unprecedented increase and the quality of the products leaves something to be desired due to their deterioration.

On the market, a 15% increase in tomato prices is observed on the Casablanca wholesale market, reports L’Economiste. As for apple prices, they have reached 138%. To these fruits and vegetables are added zucchini, green peppers, carrots and green beans, the wholesale prices of which have tripled depending on the neighborhoods.

The other cause linked to these disruptions is the quarantine imposed on the metropolis. Several producers and traders fear being exposed to the zeal of certain controls and the damage in terms of road costs and product quality. This situation may not improve anytime soon due to the extension of the quarantine, even if the production of field crops should intervene in October.

Established on an average area of 280,000 ha, the vegetable sector produces nearly 7 million tons of fruits and vegetables, 90% of which are used on the local market. It provides nearly 200,000 jobs and is divided into three sub-sectors, namely seasonal market gardening, early crops and products for the agri-food industry, the newspaper reports.