After three weeks of flooding in northern Morocco, berry growers are beginning to return to their farms to assess the damage and carry out repairs. However, for many, the season has already ended prematurely. According to Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Berry Producers, the impact has been most severe in Kenitra, Sidi Slimane, and Larache, areas where a significant portion of the national production is concentrated.

Bennani describes a complex situation on the ground: “All producers in the north are affected to varying degrees, and several farms remain completely flooded. Production losses could reach up to 10% of the season's volume, impacting all categories, including strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. This could even mean an early end to the strawberry season. In the case of blueberries, there is room for recovery after the rains, although with a later season. Even so, many blueberry growers have reported significant losses in greenhouses and plants.”

© Amine Bennani

Soft fruit exports have been disrupted for the past two weeks due to flooding. Bennani explains: “Moroccan fruit has disappeared from European supermarket shelves for several reasons. First, due to severe logistical disruptions that affected the entire sector, including soft fruit harvests in Agadir, in the center of the country.”

“Many exporters had to destroy shipments after they remained too long in the port of Tangier without being able to complete the delivery to their destination. In addition, the harvest slowed down and quality problems arose related to the weather. Even so, harvesting continued when conditions allowed,” he said.

© Amine Bennani

The union representative added that the evacuation of Kser el-Kebir—the hardest-hit city—created a new problem: a labor shortage. “A significant portion of the agricultural work comes from that city. During the evacuation, it was very difficult to continue harvesting or carrying out repairs in the greenhouses.”