The potato harvest in Morocco's Doukkala region has just come to an end, but some growers are unable to obtain satisfactory prices. Mohsine Yassine, a local grower, is devastated: "The crisis is at its worst, to say the least. I regret having planted potatoes this year."
"We've had a tough time of it in production. Seeds are too expensive, and that's coupled this year with drought, lack of water, and high production costs. Yet, in the end, we're being offered a price at half our cost. This is our second consecutive year of losses," the grower adds.
"Yields are still good, as is quality. Our problem is marketing. We're trying everything, and knocking on all doors, and we're going to sell to the highest bidder," Mohsine says.
The grower's troubles come at a time when consumer prices on the Moroccan market for fresh produce are on the rise, highlighting a gap between retailers' and growers' margins. According to a recent report by the Moroccan Competition Council, the number of middlemen between growers and consumers reaches up to four intermediaries, who have a great deal of power in setting prices.
A parliamentary commission concluded in 2023 that the main factor behind the rise in consumer prices is the dysfunction of the distribution chain and the multiplicity of intermediaries.
"Next season I am thinking of giving up potatoes and converting our surface to cereals. And that's if I don't give up farming altogether," the grower says.
"I still hope for the best this season and to come out of it with as little damage as possible. For next season, the need in the market for wheat gives us hope," Mohsine concludes.
For more information:
Mohsine Yassine
Khmiss Mettouh
Tel: +212 689-038085