Flooding in northern Morocco has affected several crops, including berries, potatoes, and cereals, as well as avocados. The avocado export season, which was drawing to a close, is being severely disrupted by flooding and traffic disruptions at the port of Tangier Med.
Youssef El Khlifi, from the export company Avonature, says: "No one can quantify the damage yet, but it is enormous in the avocado sector. In particular, in the regions of Gharb and Moulay Bousselhem, many farms are submerged by water. Strong winds and incessant rain have caused widespread fruit drop, and the trees have also suffered heavy damage, with many of them completely destroyed or dead due to asphyxiation."
© Avonature
Until mid-January, industry sources estimated that 20,000 tons of avocados remained to be exported for the 2025/2026 season. El Khlifi adds that there have been virtually no exports since then due to poor weather conditions. He explains: "Significant volumes were still awaiting harvest as the season drew to a close, particularly for producers who were waiting for Ramadan and better prices. However, exports have been halted in recent weeks, if not due to fruit losses, then due to frequent suspensions of operations at the port of Tangier."
"Now that the weather has improved, it is time to assess the damage and begin treatments to save what can be saved this season. Unfortunately, for many growers, the losses are total in terms of fruit and trees, and the season has already ended prematurely for them," El Khlifi concludes.
According to a representative of growers, the damage to the avocado industry is particularly severe in low-lying areas, particularly in the municipalities of Moulay Bouselham, Ben Labsout, Sidi Mohammed Ben Mansour, and Mnasra. Water flooded several farms, and a considerable number of trees will be lost.
The climate is the culprit of this avocado season in Morocco. The season was preceded by intense heatwaves last summer, which halved the expected volumes. Flooding then dealt a severe blow to the industry, after two prosperous years in which production and export records were broken two years in a row, exceeding 100,000 tons of avocados exported last season.
For more information:
Youssef Elkhlifi
Avonature
Tel: +212625690408
Email: [email protected]
