Media reports indicated earlier this month that associations representing Moroccan and French tomato growers have reached a bilateral convention, whose signature would be a matter of time. The supposed convention includes a provision whereby Moroccan growers will refrain from exporting tomatoes to France in the summer. However, on the Moroccan side, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Exporting Producers (APEFEL) denies the existence of such a deal, calling the news "fake and a piece of propaganda ."
Khalid Saidi, president of APEFEL, states: "This is just another episode in the multi-faceted war being waged against us by French professional associations, including in the media. This time, it's beyond comprehension. We don't understand the purpose of these deceptive reports, nor to whom they are addressed or who is supposed to believe them. To be clear, no: it was never agreed to halt exports at a given time of the year, which would be against laws and regulations."
The Moroccan growers' representative recounts the background to the controversy: "On the sidelines of the Moroccan participation in the Paris international agricultural show, which featured Morocco as a guest of honor, there was a meeting between Moroccan and French growers, and the idea of a professional rapprochement was raised, potentially leading to a bilateral convention. In good faith, we communicated to our French counterparts our conception of this rapprochement, which includes the periodic and mutual exchange of key data on production such as surface areas, volumes, and export forecasts, as well as joint work to tackle phytosanitary problems. Our French counterparts went too far, proposing the outright halt of Moroccan tomato exports between April and October, among other aberrant ideas that went well beyond the scope of our initial exchanges. We have never accepted these measures, which moreover fall under the competence of governments and exceed our vocation as growers' associations."
Saidi continues, "We were then surprised by media reports, relayed also by the Moroccan press, announcing that a deal had been finalized, and was to be signed on the sidelines of the international agricultural show in Meknes. The degree of ridicule is incredible, on many levels. From an economic point of view, we cannot accept an agreement that would deal a fatal blow to the tomato sector in Morocco. Such an entente would be contrary to trade agreements between Morocco and the European Union, as well as to WTO rules and competition law. The idea of agreeing on prices or freeing up a commercial window exclusively for European growers would be detrimental to the purchasing power of European consumers, who plebiscite Moroccan tomatoes."
The growers' representative concludes: "We don't understand this obsession with Moroccan tomatoes, at a time when the balance of commercial exchanges between Morocco and the European Union is largely disadvantageous for Morocco. Our tomato exports account for one billion euros, while the commercial balance deficit is 10 billion euros to Morocco's detriment. Let's not forget that the tomato industry provides a livelihood for 120,000 direct workers in addition to hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs in Morocco, while also guaranteeing a reliable and regular supply for consumers in Europe."
For more information:
Khalid Saidi
Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetable Exporting Producers (APEFEL)
Tel: +212528848864
www.apefel.org