Morocco Aims to Boost Date Production Amid Climate Challenges and Growing Demand

Morocco still fails to meet its needs in dates. The reasons are drought, diseases, outdated production and distribution methods, reports the weekly Finances News cited by Le360, to keep up with the news of the International Date Palm Fair scheduled in Erfoud, Morocco, from October 3 to 8, 2023.

The state and industry professionals have put in place a 2021-2030 program contract to develop the sector. It provides for the mobilization of 7.5 billion dirhams and the planting of 5 million date palms, including 3 million in traditional palm groves and 2 million in modern plantation expansion areas. "It should also be said that date production contributes 60% to the income formation for 2 million people in the oasis areas," comments the weekly.

For his part, Mohamed Belahcen, member of the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Dates (Fimadattes), explains that this program contract aims to "enhance local production which has very diverse varieties, some of which do not exist in other countries. Each region has its own varieties. We need to capitalize on this element to assert the made in Morocco. We have all the necessary ingredients to face foreign competition".

The date sector is the main activity of the oasis regions of Morocco. Some 4.8 million date palms cover an area of 50,000 hectares, along the Draa and Oued Ziz valleys. The 48 existing date conditioning and storage units have a processing capacity of over 25,000 tons and a storage capacity of 5,575 tons. The varieties produced are Khalts (unidentified varieties), Mejhoul, Boufeggous, Bouzekri, Jihel and Aziza (noble varieties).