Strategically positioned at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, only 10 miles from the southern tip of Europe, Morocco is perhaps the biggest competitor to European fresh produce production.

With its 800km-long coastline with well-watered and fertile plains, an abundance of fruits and vegetables including citrus fruits, grapes, olives and dates are grown and exported all over the EU and to destinations further afield.

The most important export crop, however, is tomatoes. One tomato exporter, Agafonte, established in 1987, also produces peppers, beans and other vegetable crops, and is the biggest Moroccan grower of Hungarian pepper, a specialist crop.

The company has its own farms and nurseries – it doesn’t contract out any of the production to other farmers – and also has a platform in Spain and a distributor in Switzerland. Its main export markets are Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. However, lately the company has had to adjust to changes in the global marketplace, explains Radouan Mounir, manager of Agafonte. “The economic situation in Europe is a bit difficult,” he says. “Families are smaller and buy products in smaller quantities. Also people buy pre-prepared to a greater extent, but it doesn’t mean the fresh market will disappear.”

Although keen to expand into new markets, Mounir admits the company has had logistical problems for markets like Scandinavia and Russia. “For these destinations climate-controlled containers are a must as we mostly transport by lorry,” he says. “We did airfreight to Canada though; prices are very good there so we can afford it.”

As for the UK, the company has so far tested the market with melon exports but is in the process of obtaining all the necessary certifications in order to export on a more large-scale basis. “It’s a very interesting market,” says Mounir, “but requirements are very high – you want products straight out of paradise!”

So far the company hasn’t focused too much on the rest of Africa but is conscious that exporting to its neighbouring countries would make a lot of sense, especially as its crops are actually better in May onwards, when the current export season has ended. So what does Mounir make of the torrent of complaints from the Spanish that Moroccan export is eroding the Mediterranean fresh produce industry? “Labour is very expensive in Spain,” he acknowledges. “Hence there are a lot of things we can do in Spain. I always tell the Spanish that they should take advantage of our production platform and we of their distribution platform. You have to look for collaboration, and you have to learn from history. What Spain is going through, the French have already gone through, but because they are stubborn Spanish businesses they are losing trade.”

There are signs that a shift in mentality is beginning to take place. At the end of last year Moroccan and Spanish industry figures met in Madrid to discuss ways the two nations could resolve their differences and work together. Although there is still a long way to go, many feel that important steps have been taken in the right direction.

Dr Abdellah Radouani of citrus producer Domaine Elboura says embracing world labour organisation rules to ensure decent working conditions for its workforce has been vital to building up the credibility the company enjoys. “It’s a holistic approach – taking care of our environment, animals and people, in addition to producing the best possible crops,” he explains.

This approach has served the company well. In addition to Tesco Nurture, IFS and BRC, Domaine Elboura has acquired a whole host of other certifications for its production, which revolves around minimal pesticide residue, efficient water use, and integrated pest management. “We apply IPM pesticides, biological control, instead of spraying,” explains Abdellah.

The company, which was established in 1967, produces 40,000 tonnes a year of citrus varieties like Washington Sanguine, Navel Lane Late, Valencia Late and Sanluciana.

Apart from its traditional markets, Europe, Russia, the UK and Scandinavia, the company has recently made inroads into the US. “It is a good market,” says Abdellah. “Initially we were worried it would be difficult to compete with Californian fruit but so far it’s OK.”

A major issue for Moroccan exporters is the lack of governmental support. Excessive red tape and a lack of support for companies wishing to expand are common complaints.

Take Tiwiza, an Agadir-based producer of a wide range of exotic fruits, such as passionfruit, kiwano, physalis, jabaneros and dragonfruit. Praised for its innovation, the company has received one of the Moroccan agriculture industry’s highest

accolades, an innovation award from the King, Mohammed VI. Yet its manager, Lahoussine Kanane, feels frustrated that the company grows 20 hectares a year, when it has the potential to grow between 100 to 200 hectares with the right investment. “We get almost no subsidies from the government,” says Kanane. “We get a small grant for irrigation. There is simply too much red tape in the country and I don’t see it changing any time soon. It’s a big problem.” —

AGRICULTURE DRIVES MOROCCO

Agriculture in Morocco employs about 40 per cent of the nation’s workforce, making it the largest employer in the country. On the Atlantic coast olives, citrus fruits and grapes are grown, largely with water supplied by artesian wells.

The agriculture industry in Morocco enjoys a complete tax exemption. Many Moroccan critics say that rich farmers and large agricultural companies are getting too much benefit of not paying the taxes, at the expense of poor farmers who struggle with high costs and receive very little support from the state.