The weather disruptions in Morocco have had a severe impact on the soft fruit sector, raising concerns among industry professionals about the supply of suitable, resistant plants.
The issue is of such importance that the fourth edition of the International Soft Fruit Festival, held from January 7 to 11 in Kénitra, Morocco, was mostly devoted to discussions on plants and nurseries. According to the organizers, the main aim of the festival is to raise awareness among growers of the urgency of the subject and to encourage both Moroccan and foreign nurseries to supply good quality plants and to invest in Morocco.
Emad Mahdy, CEO of Egyptian Fayruz Nurseries, said: "I took part in the festival following a valuable invitation from the Moroccan red fruit association. The event sparked in-depth scientific and technical discussions on the issue of plants, which represent a major challenge for Moroccan and Egyptian growers. The very newest technologies were presented, in terms of irrigation, nutrition, and all agricultural operations linked to red fruit, with enthusiastic participation from professionals from all over the world. I had the honor of sharing the Egyptian experience and benefiting from that of my Moroccan counterparts."
"Today, both Moroccan and Egyptian growers are facing a real problem with the supply of high-quality plants that are resistant to climatic disturbances," adds Emad, "This problem was particularly acute last season, with significant yield losses. I had the great honor of presenting Fayruz's work and my advice on disease treatment and nutrition to Moroccan growers. Egypt's experience in strawberry production, the most longstanding in the Arab world, has made us the world's leading exporter of frozen strawberries and third largest exporter of fresh strawberries".
According to Emad, collaboration between Egyptian nurseries and Moroccan producers in the current context make total sense. "There is scope for greater complementarity between professionals in the two countries. We also have a lot to learn from the Moroccan experience. For example, Moroccan operators in the sector have a great mastery of logistics, with packing stations no more than 30 minutes from production areas, whereas in Egypt, large volumes are lost between harvesting and packing. Another strong point of Moroccan professionals is the high efficiency of producers and exporters' associations, which react in real-time to new challenges and considerably facilitate the work of exporters, from production to marketing."
The two North African countries can work more closely together, especially as they are not in competition, according to Emad. He explains: "There is no direct competition between Morocco and Egypt in the strawberry market. The two countries' export calendars are only simultaneous for a short period. On the other hand, Morocco benefits from lower production costs, particularly in terms of logistics and transport. Exporters in both countries sell at roughly the same price, making Moroccan exports more profitable, while Egyptian exports represent more volumes. As Egyptian nurseries, we have everything to gain by turning to Morocco".
Emad concludes: "I've also seen a great deal of interest from Moroccan growers, who are keen to take up the plant challenge. I visited several soft fruit farms and presented my offer of plants and advice on farming operations, which was well received. This bodes well for Egyptian plant exports to Morocco. The strawberry sector is very buoyant, employing a massive workforce and generating respectable incomes for growers and exporters, and added value for our nations, and deserves greater attention and collaboration between professionals in our respective countries."
For more information:
Emad Mahdy
Fayruz Nurseries
Tel.: +201014040722
Email: emad_mahdy@hotmail.com