Morocco’s Agricultural Exports Thrive Despite COVID-19 Crisis

While the report on foreign trade statistics at the end of March 2020 from the Foreign Exchange Office indicates a 10.6% or 8.1 billion DH drop in exports, which stand at 68.2 billion, agriculture and fishing have nevertheless recorded a trade surplus. This is evidenced by the 2019-2020 agricultural food export campaign.

Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, berries, watermelons are the agricultural products in high demand internationally in these times of covid-19. Thus, exports of vegetable products reached a volume of around 876,000 tons (balance as of April 14, 2020), recording a 3% growth compared to the previous season, reports L’Opinion.

According to Hassan Sentissi, president of the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX), the strongest growth was recorded in berries with a volume of around 68,400 tons as of April 14, 2020, i.e. a 27% growth compared to the previous campaign at the same date.

As for fishery products, the volume exported during this campaign stands at 496,400 tons compared to 481,200 tons last year, thus recording a 3% growth. "Unfortunately, only about 60% of production is assured during the state of health emergency; the sector is therefore unable to operate at full capacity," says Hassan Sentissi.