The geopolitical situation in the Strait of Hormuz continues to weigh on Morocco's imports of plastic pellets, and thus on the supply of plastic film used in the construction of agricultural greenhouses.
The outbreak of war in the Middle East has impacted the availability of raw materials as well as their transportation costs. According to Nadir Ibenbrahim, commercial director of Micagricol, supplies of pellets from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries have dropped significantly since late February, and their costs have increased by at least 50%. "We've had to raise our selling prices to distributors by 50% accordingly," he adds.
© Micagricol
The timing of the outbreak of the war coincided with a storm of unprecedented magnitude that struck the Souss Massa region, a hub of greenhouse agricultural production. Thousands of hectares of greenhouses were damaged, putting pressure on demand for agricultural films and other greenhouse construction materials.
Ibenbrahim comments, "This sudden surge in demand has contributed to supply issues and rising prices for agricultural plastic film."
The situation remains uncertain two months after the shortage began. The industrialist adds, "There are no supply alternatives. As long as the war continues in the region, we see no way out of this crisis. We are merely still waiting for a return to normalcy."
Another industrialist, interviewed on the sidelines of his participation in the SIAM trade show in Meknes, states that the demand is particularly concentrated in the Souss Massa region. "In other regions, such as Marrakech, the situation is quite the opposite. Producers are holding off on ordering agricultural films in anticipation of lower prices; we haven't made any deliveries in that region for the past 20 days. However, this has allowed us to redirect part of our supply to the Souss region."
For more information:
Nadir Ibenbrahim
Micagricol
+212 52258 4076
Email: [email protected]
www.emballagedumaroc.com
