Spanish Farmers Protest Surge in Moroccan Produce Imports to EU

"Morocco can bring 320,000 tons of fruits and vegetables into Europe, duty-free. But 600,000 tons are entering, twice the authorized quantity," denounces Andrés Góngora, head of fruits and vegetables at COAG. "Currently, we are the leading exporters within the EU. But if we leave the European space, they have already overtaken us. We are already below 600,000 tons," he adds.

The European Commission recently announced that by 2035, the cultivable area of tomatoes will decrease by about 21.5%, resulting in a 22% drop in production, reports El Español. Already, Spain is no longer the main supplier of tomatoes to the United Kingdom. It has been dethroned by Morocco. In Andalusia, the cultivable area of tomatoes has dropped from 12,000 to 4,000 hectares in five years, a loss of 8,000 hectares. In the Canary Islands, tomatoes are no longer even grown, Góngora protests.

The COAG official denounces the non-compliance with the tariff agreement which provides for the payment of 46 euros per 100 kilos from 320,000 tons. "The agreement is not respected and the containers are not controlled," he fumes, highlighting unfair competition from Morocco. "If the Spanish tomato is at one euro, they put it at 70 or 80 cents. This is their formula to take over the market, knowing moreover that labor is fundamental in setting prices."

It is in the Sahara that Morocco cultivates most of the tomatoes exported in recent years. Currently, nearly 1,000 hectares (950) are cultivated in Dakhla for an annual production of 66,000 tons, mainly round and cherry tomatoes (44 tons per hectare), but also melons. Morocco aims to reach 5,000 hectares of cultivable land within 10 years. "In the Sahara, there is no regulation. And since there are no rules, irrigated crops are not illegal," Góngora says.

Andrés Góngora also denounces Morocco’s "fraud strategy" of transporting tomatoes from Western Sahara "by road to Agadir, where they are mixed with Moroccan tomatoes and labeled as if they had been grown in Morocco." The COAG official calls on the Spanish authorities to take the appropriate measures not to lose the tomato war with Morocco, because "when a country loses the ability to produce, it also loses the ability to control prices".