Ramadan in Morocco: Why Watermelon Prices Are Soaring to 15 Dirhams per Kilo

Mauritanian farmers are expressing their dissatisfaction with the growing financial burden of transporting their products to the Kingdom. While rumors mention a tax of 90 000 dirhams per 24-ton shipment, experts clarify that this amount covers all logistical costs. Actual customs duties amount to approximately 50 000 dirhams, a rate that, according to Moroccan authorities, has not increased this year.

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This tension comes as the sector has experienced spectacular expansion in Mauritania, growing from 200 to 3 000 hectares in five years. Although the Moroccan market remains secondary to exports to Europe, it is still strategic for selling the abundant production. The coincidence of Ramadan at the end of February nevertheless caused a price increase, reaching as much as 15 dirhams per kilo because supply was still limited at the start of the season.

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Investors emphasize that the two countries’ production does not compete directly, as the Mauritanian harvest ends when Morocco’s begins. Although lower customs duties are desired to support consumers’ purchasing power, such a measure would require bilateral agreements concluded well before the start of the agricultural campaigns. Morocco is indeed committed to protecting its own balance as a producing nation.