The Moroccan date sector has voiced concerns about the rising number of date imports from Tunisia, which, according to local producers, harm both the quality of the domestic product and employment in the country. Questions have also been raised regarding the true origin of some of these fruits, which are allegedly sold as Tunisian but actually come from Algeria. They argue this causes unfair competition and creates confusion among consumers.
Abdelbar Belhassan, president of the Moroccan Federation for the Commercialization and Valorization of Dates and a member of the National Interprofessional Federation of Date Chains, told Hespress that "Moroccan consumers also tend to consume local products, but the entry of imported fruits, including Tunisian ones, in quantities that exceed demand will cause a recession in the market."
"This situation results in excess stockpiles, creating unfair competition for Moroccan producers. He pointed out that Tunisian dates, for instance, are processed dates with lower nutritional value than local Moroccan dates. As a result, selling these dates in large quantities endangers the livelihoods of Moroccan palm growers," Belhassan stated.
The sector representative also called for "a ban on the entry of imported dates into Morocco, which cannot become a market for those who do not have one, or at least limit the quantities coming from open markets with which Morocco has free trade agreements, such as the Tunisian market." He also called for stronger quality controls.
Source: larazon.es
