Supplying the native market with vegetables and fruit or exporting to southern Moroccan international locations: an actual dilemma for Moroccan officers

Par El Mostapha BAHRI, Guide Economist

In accordance with the digital newspaper Hespress, “the choice to permit Moroccan exporters to re-export sure merchandise, resembling onions and potatoes, to the African market, has opened the door to speculations relating to its repercussions on the nationwide market, notably with regard to costs and their improve[1] ».

Following this resolution, which has not didn’t arouse fears, notably amongst shoppers, sure questions should be requested:

• What influence will this resolution have on the availability of agricultural merchandise, notably sure greens, on the home market and due to this fact on client costs?
• Will the native market as soon as once more expertise the phenomenon of rising costs for vegetables and fruit, as has been the case since 2022, ensuing from the export of agricultural merchandise?
• Is there a regulatory mechanism that permits the competent administration to intervene to make sure the availability of the native market, with out harming exporters of agricultural merchandise?

Everybody agrees that exporting agricultural merchandise to Sahel international locations represents a big financial alternative for our nation. Nonetheless, one of these commerce additionally presents challenges and requires acceptable laws to maximise advantages and reduce disadvantages, for all stakeholders, particularly producers, exporters and shoppers and due to this fact for the nationwide financial system.

To diversify exterior markets, the Sahel international locations have provided Morocco for years, new shops for sure Moroccan agricultural merchandise. Consequently, by this opening, these international locations have comparatively diminished dependence on conventional European and North American markets, for sure merchandise.

These sub-Saharan markets will undoubtedly expertise a rise in demand for agricultural merchandise, resulting from speedy inhabitants development, creating vital market potential. Commerce with these international locations will permit for the strengthening of financial and diplomatic relations with Morocco and can be more likely to foster regional cooperation and additional strengthen diplomatic and political ties.

Moreover, any improve in agricultural exports can stimulate Morocco’s financial development by producing extra revenue for farmers and exporting firms and due to this fact creating jobs within the manufacturing, processing and logistics sectors.

Furthermore, Moroccan agricultural merchandise, famend for his or her high quality, can set up themselves on the Sahel markets, which is more likely to result in the rise and worldwide recognition of Moroccan merchandise.

Nonetheless, these exports could trigger inconveniences, as a result of troublesome situations that our nation has been experiencing in recent times. These situations are resulting from low rainfall and the state of water reserves in dams and the alarming state of groundwater. This example might negatively influence the portions produced and positioned in the marketplace.

Equally, different penalties could also be generated such because the dangers of tensions that might come up inside our nation, as a result of excessive value of vegetables and fruit on the nationwide market. Furthermore, the surge in fruit costs throughout this season (since June 2024), has disadvantaged sure classes of Moroccan households of not consuming fruits (costs stay excessive in comparison with the identical season final 12 months). As well as, there was a discount within the variety of road distributors and the meagerness of fruit distributors’ stalls within the markets of working-class neighborhoods. Happily, this surge in costs has not but affected, for the second, greens (potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and so forth.) which represent the majority of the day by day purchases of Moroccan households.

It needs to be famous on this context that “fruit costs have seen a marked improve this summer season. Watermelons, beforehand obtainable at 3.5 DH/kg, at the moment are promoting at 7 DH/kg. Melons, one other fruit that may be very fashionable throughout sizzling climate, have seen their worth improve from 4-5 DH/kg to 7 DH/kg (and even 12 Dhs in sure areas). Inexperienced figs, for his or her half, attain 25 DH/kg, in comparison with 10-15 DH beforehand (and have reached 40 Dhs in sure areas). The state of affairs is much more alarming for cherries, whose worth has doubled, going from 30-35 DH/kg to 70 DH/kg. Peaches and grapes are following the identical pattern, with costs going from 10-13 DH/kg to 25 DH/kg. As for prickly pears, the state of affairs is phenomenal. They’re now bought at 7 DH every in some cities, a document worth which displays the rarity of this product in the marketplace.[2] ».

This normal improve in costs makes entry to fruits troublesome, stopping Moroccan households from accessing them. The latter have been pressured to evaluate their meals funds to proceed consuming the merchandise important to their weight loss plan.

Confronted with this example, some “dishonest” producers could also be tempted to accentuate agricultural manufacturing, by using sure chemical merchandise, to satisfy the demand of the native and export markets, which may result in overexploitation of pure sources, notably water and soil.

What might be achieved to handle this example of hovering fruit costs, to stop it from spreading to greens?

It’s the authorities’s duty to make sure a secure provide state of affairs out there, which preserves the pursuits of exporters, producers and shoppers. Furthermore, the latter symbolize the weakest hyperlink within the chain.

The Authorities should arrange a regulatory system, primarily based on a “worth” indicator for every kind of vegetable, and even for sure fruits, notably these most consumed by residents, above which the agricultural administration intervenes to decelerate or prohibit exports for a time period, till costs return to their regular state of affairs.

Nonetheless, it occurs that producers obtain a big manufacturing, which ends up in a drop in costs on the manufacturing stage, regardless of exports. On this case, the administration should arrange assist applications for farmers solely, to scale back the doable danger of loss to producers.

Thus, a particular fund for regulating the fruit and vegetable market might play this regulatory position, supplied that each one stakeholders (administration, producers, exporters and shoppers) be a part of forces to create system that doesn’t solely profit one class of stakeholders.

This regulatory system, if strict and properly designed, will permit for sustainable use of pure sources, notably in water administration and soil conservation. It should additional encourage sustainable and environmentally pleasant agricultural practices, by strengthening the mechanisms arrange underneath Maroc Vert, regarding monetary and technical incentives for farmers.

Lastly, there’s normal settlement that exporting Moroccan agricultural merchandise to the Sahel international locations presents vital financial and diplomatic alternatives. Nonetheless, to maximise the advantages and reduce the drawbacks, it’s important to place in place acceptable laws and develop appropriate infrastructure. A collaborative and sustainable method will strengthen relations between Morocco and the Sahel international locations whereas supporting the financial and social improvement of each areas.

[1] Hespress, Friday July 12, 2024.

[2] https://www.lebrief.ma/from 07/09/2024