The current citrus season in Morocco has experienced a rise in production that exceeds the capacity of the country’s packing stations, according to a report from Agri Maroc.
In partnership with the Moroccan Citrus Interprofessional Federation (Morocco Citrus), the Moroccan Association of Citrus Packers (ASCAM) has decided to carry out an investigation into the packing sector to identify areas that require restructuring and upgrading.
The results for Morocco’s Beni Mellal-Khénifra region were presented last month at the general assembly of the association, with the region recording significant growth in citrus production to nearly 420,000 tonnes this year.
The meeting was attended by representatives of ASCAM and major farmers from the Beni Mellal-Khénifra region, as well as the Autonomous Establishment for the Control and Coordination of Exports (EACCE), the Regional Directorates of Agriculture (DRA) and the Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA).
Khalid Bounajma, president of ASCAM, said that Moroccan citrus producers had for years sold all the fruit on their trees prior to harvesting. Now, however, the country faces overproduction, with the country’s 53 packhouses able to handle a maximum of 850,000 tonnes, just one-third of national production.
