Spanish Tomato Industry Faces Crisis as Moroccan Imports Surge

Based on the agreement currently in force with the European Union, Morocco has increased its exports to EU countries in 2020 to 518,000 tonnes against 310,000 tonnes ten years ago. Moroccan tomato imports into Spain have increased from 20,000 to 77,000 tonnes over the same period, reports El País. This increase in the presence of Moroccan production on the community markets has resulted in a general drop in prices and, in the case of Spain, a 30% drop in sales, from just over a million tonnes to 711,000 tonnes last year.

"Morocco already dominates the green bean market and we cannot compete with its round tomato production due to cost differences and their market access conditions," explains Jorge Brotons, the general manager of the Bonnysa group, adding that "the sector needs greater protection against third countries, but also a process of greenhouse conversion to be more efficient".

For José María Pozancos, the director of the Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters, it is difficult to compete with Moroccan tomato production due to the drop in labor costs and the ineffectiveness of an entry price of 0.46 euros per kilo, well below the average production cost of 0.55 euros, and which has remained frozen for two decades. According to the official, it is urgent