The effects of Storm Bernard on the red fruits of Morocco
Violent, sand-laden winds, which reached speeds of up to 106 km, hit the Atlantic coast of Morocco, where they damaged crops, especially fruit trees and berries. In Larache, the most affected place, the winds swept away greenhouses and fruits. Zouhir Daissoria, from the red fruit producer Rika, reviews the damage suffered by the berries.
Raspberries
According to Zouhir, raspberries were the most affected by the storm. «We are in the third raspberry harvest of the season and we were supposed to reach peak volumes next week. Of the export crops, it has been raspberries that have hit the storm the hardest, with a loss of 70-80% of volumes. Some producers have even lost their entire harvest. In addition, the plants have suffered damage and will have to be replaced. For the season as a whole, this would correspond to a loss of around 10% of volumes.
Strawberries
Zouhir explains that “the strawberries have not suffered because they are not ready at this time of year. Plants have been lost, but there is still time to recover. Therefore, losses in terms of volumes for the season as a whole will be minimal.
Blueberries
«For the blueberries there have not been many repercussions, since they had just been planted and the harvests are expected at the end of December. In most cases, growers have not even set up the greenhouses yet or installed the covers. Even so, a loss of around 10% of blueberry plants has been recorded.
Greenhouses
«The damage to infrastructure is considerable. In the most affected areas, very few greenhouses have been left standing,” adds Zouhir. «In the entire Larache region, about half of the greenhouses have been destroyed. The damage varies from one producer to another; The greenhouses of some of them have suffered damage, while those of others are repairable or have only lost the shading nets or covers.
Regions affected
The storm affected the country's Atlantic coast and the strongest winds were recorded in northern Morocco, between Rabat and Larache. According to Zouhir, “this axis, which corresponds to the Gharb-Lucus agricultural regions, represents 62% of red fruit production. The Souss-Massa region and its capital, Agadir, were spared, and in any case, their berry season is delayed.
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