The yield of Moroccan citrus cultivation in the 2019/20 season has decreased due to the unfavourable weather in the south of Morocco. Heat stress limited flowering during the 2019/20 season, resulting in a 30 percent decrease in year-on-year citrus yields and exports. Despite the smaller yield, the export values remain stable due to the solid prices on the export market.
COVID-19
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Morocco, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken new sanitary and social measures in agricultural production units to ensure that regular production and export activities are maintained. Measures include strengthening hygiene systems for staff in the citrus packing houses, disinfecting and cleaning the surfaces in the warehouses and means of transport, screening employees for symptoms before entering facilities, providing personnel with protective equipment (masks and gloves) and respecting the safe distance between personnel.
State aid
The Moroccan government has provided a series of incentive measures to support citrus growers and encourage new investments in citrus cultivation. According to the Association of Citrus Breeding Companies in Morocco, citrus exporters in the Souss-Massa region will benefit from export aid of $ 7.3 million (over € 6.4 million).
Source: USDA