Moroccan Tomato Exports Surpass Spain’s, Reshaping Mediterranean Produce Market

During the 2019/2020 campaign, the province of Almeria, the main tomato producing region, exported 418,640 tons of tomatoes (- 11.3% than the previous year and - 25.2% than the last 5 years), while the volume of Moroccan exports reached 486,880 tons, according to data from the Estacom statistical service. A first. Pressed by competition, Spain seems to be turning to the cultivation of other agricultural products. According to estimates by Asaja Almería, an association of farmers and fruit and vegetable producers, Almeria currently has 16% fewer greenhouse tomato hectares than nine years ago, or a total of nearly 2,000 fewer hectares. A huge regression.

The Spanish tomato has become less competitive. As a result, it has been decided to withdraw it from the race. According to Asaja Almería, this decision is motivated by "the lack of profitability of this crop and the inability to cope with the competition from third countries, particularly Morocco". Spanish farmers are struggling to "cope with production whose cost has increased by about 13% over these nine years. And all this even though it is a product protected by the trade agreement between the European Union and this country," the association analyzes.

With optimal production conditions, the Moroccan tomato is thriving. Morocco owes its success to the southern regions of Souss-Massa and Dakhla. These regions have considerable assets, which allow the kingdom to assume favorable climatic conditions with regular temperatures and high sunshine durations, availability of land, qualified human resources. Not to mention the technological expertise, engineering and the work of technicians who support producers and farmers in all areas.