The Moroccan table grape season continues with harvests of late varieties. Elana Shabaily, from Vergers de Soleil, reports "a very good season, with more volumes and better sizes than last year".
The previous season was marked by long heat waves resulting in a volume drop of around 20%, as well as quality problems, particularly for red seedless varieties, which failed to stimulate demand.
"This season, however, we're happy to report that we are exempt from all these troubles," says Elana. "We started the first harvests of the early varieties towards the end of May and will continue to harvest until the end of July. We're seeing a clear improvement in terms of yield, better sizes, good brix levels as well as solid fruit, and that's across all varieties."
This is no surprise, given the marked improvement in weather conditions, adds Elana: "Last season, we experienced long periods of over 40-degree heat; this season, the 40-degree mark was reached for just three days. The temperature has remained stable in the thirties, which is good for table grapes. On top of that, all you need is adequate farming operations to make the season a success, especially when it comes to optimizing the harvest schedule."
There are, nevertheless, disparities in quality between regions, with harvests in Marrakech better this season than those in Taroudant, which experienced humid mornings, according to Elana.
The situation is better than last year, but Morocco's table grape industry is still affected by the long-standing water stress. Elana explains: "We've suspended all our development plans and we're moving forward at a moderate pace. We are waiting for solutions such as seawater desalination and wastewater treatment plants to be deployed, which will take some time."
"Development prospects are promising but remain dependent on the availability of water. We're excited to develop new varieties, increase our acreage, and welcome new partners to the party, but that's on hold for the time being".
For more information:
Elana Shabaily
Les Vergers du Soleil
Tel.: +212661251169
Email: [email protected]
www.lesvergersdusoleil.com