Morocco Emerges as Key Supplier of Affordable Produce to West Africa

Mauritanian fruit and vegetable traders have regained their good mood, following the reopening of the El Guerguerat area. This is understandable if we know that Morocco is the leading supplier of basic commodities to Mauritania, and at reasonable prices, indicates L’Économiste.

Over the past two decades, the sector has seen an evolution that has facilitated an average annual growth of 15% over the 2007-2015 period. This trend has since accelerated and currently, the supply has expanded to include potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, turnips, green beans, peppers and others, the daily notes.

Flours, semolinas and cereal agglomerates, coffee or tea extracts and essences, and cheeses remain the most sought-after products in the food industry. In this sense, the kingdom prioritizes solidarity through its competitive prices, in line with the purchasing power of the recipient countries, including Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Ghana and Gambia, which are treated as priorities.

While these products are also present in Libya, Tunisia and Burkina Faso, they are almost impossible to find in South Africa and Angola, due to "the multiplicity of national borders, the costs of transactions and the weakness of infrastructure and logistics," explains the newspaper, indicating that to improve the situation, it will be necessary to "target trade partners according to the potential of their market, improve the regulatory framework of trade and investment agreements concluded with countries in the region, adapt the Moroccan offer to their specialties, strengthen commercial logistics with them and coordinate the action strategies of the public authorities with the private operators".