Morocco Faces Date Shortage Concerns Ahead of Ramadan

Dates are one of the most consumed products by Moroccans. The annual consumption of dates in Morocco is about 7 kilograms per inhabitant, compared to 1 kilogram on average worldwide, says L’Opinion. This fruit is in high demand during the month of Ramadan scheduled for this year in March. A few weeks before this holy month, Moroccans are wondering if they will be able to have dates on their tables, as the drought has affected the production of this fruit.

Morocco is affected by water stress, making it difficult to grow dates, which require a large amount of water. On average, it takes 2,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of dates, compared to only 400 liters of water for one kilogram of avocados. Even if date cultivation can withstand drought, constant irrigation is still necessary, it is noted.

National date production fell by 30% in 2022, or nearly 45,000 tons less than the previous year. But the sector has started to recover thanks to the Green Morocco Plan. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, 115,000 tons of dates are expected for the 2023/24 agricultural season, an increase of 6.5% compared to the 108,000 tons of the previous season.

The Drâa-Tafilalet region remains the main producer of dates, with 91,000 tons, or more than 79% of the national date production. The Souss-Massa, Oriental, and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra regions, for their part, contribute 21%, or 24,000 tons. Some 5 million plants will be planted by 2030 as part of the Green Generation plan, in the hope of reaching a production of 300,000 tons. In the meantime, Morocco is counting on imports to meet the domestic market.