Morocco Expects Stable Date Prices for Ramadan Despite Supply Challenges

The prices of the date varieties most prized by the Moroccan consumer "will not record significant increases" during the next Ramadan month, said the professionals, specifying that these increases will not exceed 10% and that the prices of the Mejhoul and Faqous varieties should remain stable. However, they note a "significant decline" in the supply of local dates this year due to the persistent drought that has been affecting the kingdom for six years, the fires that have ravaged hectares of oases, and the floods that have destroyed tons of dates. According to the professionals, the price of the "Mejhoul" variety should not exceed 120 dirhams. That of the Faqous variety will range between 40 and 60 dirhams depending on the quality.

A production of 103,000 tons of dates is expected this 2024-2025 season, according to estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, which represents a "10% decrease compared to the production of the 2023-2024 agricultural season (115,000 tons)". In terms of imports, Morocco has purchased 103,000 tons of dates from several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, between March 2023 and October 2024, according to the specialized platform EastFruit. Last November, at the beginning of this season, the kingdom imported 24.2% of Tunisian dates.