Avocado growers in Morocco say they are on track for a bumper harvest, defying the drought that has hit the country in the far northwest of Africa. Production for the season, which runs from October to April, could see an increase of 2%. Good news for the consumer, not entirely without consequences for the quality of the creamy fruit so adored by restaurateurs.
Morocco’s climatic conditions have proven to be perfect for avocado producers. The popularity of this fruit and the revaluation of high prices in the market led to an increase in exports from year to year.
The country has become an important player in the global avocado market since its introduction.
Mohamed Lakchouch owns an avocado farm of around 10 hectares in Larache, northwest Morocco, with some 5,000 avocado trees.
It produces three varieties of avocados namely Hass, Fuerté, and Zutano. The Hass variety represents around 80% of the avocado trees on this farm.
Lakchouch claims to have produced 90 tonnes of Hass avocados this year, an increase of 30% compared to the last three years. But he is well aware that avocados consume a lot of water.
“Each avocado tree can consume around 30 liters per hour, and the quantity can vary depending on the season. We can only supply half of this quantity, almost 15 liters per hour, while we sometimes have to supply up to 60 liters per hour.
He says extreme temperatures and wind “can cause significant losses to avocado trees, as they are very sensitive.”
Lakchouch’s farm uses an irrigation system with sensors to reduce water waste.
Abdellah Elyamlahi, president of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters, says Morocco’s northern regions have significant water reserves that have boosted agricultural production.
“The northern region of Morocco experiences rainfall and has significant water reserves, unlike southern Morocco, such as Agadir and the Sahara. 20% of the increase in production is due to the growth of agricultural operations.”
Morocco has recently endured a severe drought due to reduced rainfall and increased temperatures, particularly during the summer months.
This had a very negative impact on the water table and led to low water levels in the dams.
Despite water shortage issues, the country’s avocado industry has shown resilience.
Mustapha Laissate, an environmental researcher in Rabat, believes it is important to regulate farms so that they are not in areas where water is scarce.
“The State has now developed a strategy to deal with water shortage. In this context, it is necessary to regulate the cultivation of these types of trees, as well as watermelons, which must be in areas characterized by abundant water, such as the Lookkos basin and the Gharb region. However, their presence is difficult in areas where we need drinking water and where livestock and factories are located, to avoid an imbalance of water resources which should cover other areas”.
Lakchouch says production has increased on his farm as the trees have matured.
“I had young trees. So it is normal for production to increase every year. Other factors play a role in the increase in production, for example, the absence of ice, high temperatures, and wind also., with the presence of suitable climatic conditions, production increases.”
Avocado production across the country for this season could reach 60,000 tonnes, says Elyamlahi of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters.
Last year, overall production reached 40,000 tonnes, he says, with 90% of the Hass variety.
Each year, Morocco exports almost all of the avocados it grows. They started exporting to Spain but later added countries like Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Russia to the list of importers.
However, two-thirds of this year’s avocado harvest has no destination yet and several export units have been forced to close.
Elyamlahi explains that this year’s avocados are smaller and there is greater competition in international markets for the larger fruits.
Morocco had become accustomed to exporting large calibers.
“There are problems that come with increased production, namely the small size of the fruit. When the tree is full of fruit, it negatively affects its size. When the tree is full of fruit, the fruit is small, and vice versa.” This is what has affected the marketing at the moment because during these months there is a group of countries that have the same (uniform) size of avocados that are then exported to the main market to which Morocco exports, which is Europe. “
And Elyamlahi says the dangers to the industry are real.
“The large quantities of avocados that are still in Morocco, if they accumulate, will lead to harmful results, such as a drop in prices and the impossibility of exporting them or exporting them at low prices, and this is not a healthy and sustainable question.”
