Floods and severe weather in northern Morocco have affected the country's soft fruit heartland, with many growers seeing their farms inundated and greenhouses damaged. Production losses are estimated at up to 10%, with the impact expected to weigh on early Ramadan supply and push prices higher. DR ‹ › The floods and adverse weather in northern Morocco have struck the country's soft fruit heartland, leaving growers in Kenitra, Sidi Slimane, and Larache facing significant losses. Strong winds ripped through polytunnels, and some farms were completely inundated by heavy rainfall, Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Soft Fruit Growers, told Yabiladi on Monday. Assessing the impact on this season's production, he said that «losses could reach up to 10% of the season's volume in the north». The damage comes at a critical time, as the flooding occurred at the very beginning of the production season, he insisted. As weather conditions improve and evacuees return home after two weeks of severe alerts, farmers have resumed work. «Since last Thursday, growers have been back on their farms to assess the damage and restore production as soon as possible», Bennani explained. However, beyond the physical damage caused by the exceptional weather, labor shortages have also weighed on production. «The entire perimeter of Ksar El Kebir was closed, leaving no one available to work», he added. Export, Ramadan and government support Although exports were not halted, they have been affected. «The damaged and flooded farms will definitely impact the quantity of fruit available for export», Bennani said, noting that «we are currently experiencing a 40% delay in exports compared to last year». This situation is expected to affect the domestic market as well. With Ramadan approaching, a period marked by a surge in red fruit consumption, Bennani acknowledged that there will «certainly be an impact during the first week of Ramadan, in terms of both quantity and price». However, he expressed hope that «the situation will stabilize in the following weeks». Regarding government support, announced last week as part of a 3-billion-dirham relief plan for the hardest-hit provinces, Bennani confirmed that the Interior Ministry has begun a census of affected farmers. «However, we still do not know what the next steps will be, or when it will be implemented», he noted. Flood-related damage to the citrus sector The flood-related damage in Gharb is not limited to soft fruit but has also hit the citrus sector. The Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Citrus (Maroc Citrus) reported that intense rainfall, overflowing rivers, and strong winds led to substantial fruit drop, particularly among orange varieties. «Nearly one-third of total planted areas are at risk, as prolonged water stagnation could cause root asphyxiation, potentially leading to the loss of a significant number of trees», the federation warned in a press release this Monday. Maroc Citrus added that the situation will seriously affect producers' turnover and export capacity during the current campaign, with direct consequences for agricultural employment in the affected regions. In response to the broader agricultural impact, the government's support plan includes a spring planting program tailored to the specific conditions of the affected provinces. The initiative covers oilseed, cereal, and forage crops, and provides assistance for the purchase of seeds and fertilizers to help farmers make up for lost time.
