Street Vendors Key to Morocco’s Fresh Fruit Market, Handling 30% of National Production

"The volume of national production of fresh fruits (oranges, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, persimmons...) is around 1,648,000 tons. More than two-thirds of this production, or 80%, is consumed as fruit, directly harvested from the orchards or after a few months of storage in refrigeration units," explains Tayab Snoussi, president of the Interprofessional Federation of the Fruit Tree Sector (FéDAM), to La Vie éco. But the multiplicity of intermediaries in the supply chain has led to an increase in consumer prices that can go from single to triple.

This increase, not profitable for farmers and consumers, has led to the emergence of the street trade of fruits at the national level. Many merchants are supplied by these street vendors. "It is a ’necessary evil’ that has come to address this problem of high prices. Street vendors participate in the marketing of about 30% of the national production of fresh fruits," says Tayab Snoussi, noting that their number varies according to the seasons and the availability of fruits. "We estimate their number at more than 100,000 street vendors nationwide. They specialize in the sale of fruits with an uneven distribution between cities, with, as an order of magnitude, 8,000 to 10,000 in Casablanca, 4,000 in Rabat, 3,000 in Marrakech..." According to the FéDAM, a street fruit vendor can achieve an average daily turnover of 1,000 to 1,500 DH.

Given their importance in the marketing of the national production of fresh fruits, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) formulates proposals for their integration into the economic and social fabric. These include establishing an open vocational training system to enable a significant portion of street vendors to engage in alternative activities; develop flexible training programs in literacy, digital, health and safety, customer service, marketing and management. The council also recommends that street vendors be able to benefit from financial support from the state in order to engage in training programs.