Heavy rainfall was recorded in Morocco during the first two weeks of March, breaking a long spell of drought. The Larache region, the main growing center for avocados and soft fruit, received some of the most generous rainfall. While avocados were unaffected by the rains, according to industry sources, the situation is different for soft fruit, particularly strawberries.
Zouhir Disouria, a local grower and exporter, describes the extent of the damage: "It's quite normal to lose part of the soft fruit plantations, which are sensitive to rain. However, the damage has been greater than expected since the beginning of March, due to the long periods of rain. Fresh, ripe strawberries that have been in contact with water for a long time are infested and are losing their quality. As a result, the export campaign has been halted for two weeks, and the entire harvest has been redirected to freezing."
On other soft fruits, however, the impact has been minimal, Disouria says: "In blueberries, the season is behind schedule this year, with slower fruit development, and we haven't yet reached peak yields. The same applies to raspberries, since the first cycle of the season has already ended and the plants are dormant, and the second cycle will only start in April for most varieties."
According to the grower, the drop in strawberry quality is interrupting a campaign in full demand. "Usually, European demand is low at this late stage of the season, but we are still receiving plenty of requests for fresh strawberries, which unfortunately we are unable to satisfy due to the halt in exports. The season will continue until May for the Gulf countries, and we hope that production will return to its usual pace before the end of the season."
"I don't want to sound ungrateful here, we growers in the region are very happy to see the rain coming with this density, which is more important for the region and the drought-stricken country than the disruption of the strawberry campaign," Disouria concludes.
For more information:
Zouhir Disouria
Bldiofroote
Tel: +212 661902434
Email: bldiofroote.coperative@gmail.com / disouriafirstgreenland@gmail.com