Why your oranges are going to become more expensive

The Moroccan interprofessional federation of citrus fruits has warned of a massive drop in fruit production. Nearly a third of the plantations risk root asphyxiation due to the prolonged stagnation of the waters. This situation is degrading the income of farmers and mechanically reducing the volumes available for international trade, according to FreshPlaza.

The impact is particularly severe because many farms have remained submerged for long periods. In the Souss, the rainfall schedule has been unfavorable: arriving on already mature fruits, the rains had an immediate negative effect on this season’s harvest.

"The citrus sector is in a structural crisis due to yield problems. It is also a sector where the effects of the rains will take a long time to be felt, perhaps years," says an operator interviewed by the same source.

The depletion of groundwater tables is preventing a rapid recovery, and the process of replanting the orchards uprooted during the drought years will be long. In the nursery, activity is slowing down due to a lack of new orders. In addition, port disruptions related to the weather have slowed exports at the beginning of the year, exacerbating the logistical difficulties of an already weakened sector.

Despite the scale of the material damage, producers welcome the mobilization of government services. The efficiency of the rescue operations carried out by the Royal Armed Forces, the gendarmerie and civil protection has made it possible to support the local populations in the areas most severely affected by the floods.