HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
Morocco has achieved a remarkable rise in the global tomato market in recent years. In 2024, it surpassed Spain and became the third-largest exporter of fresh tomatoes internationally. This progress reflects the expansion of production and the increasing presence of the Kingdom in international supply chains, with exports reaching 767,000 tons, significantly ahead of Spain and Turkey.
The significant increase in export volume was also accompanied by a substantial growth in financial revenues. Moroccan tomatoes generated revenues of nearly 1.066 billion euros in 2024, a figure that reflects the expansion of markets receiving the Moroccan product and the increasing demand for it, compared to the situation about two decades ago.
However, while Morocco celebrates this external progress, citizens find themselves facing a different reality within the local markets. The price of tomatoes has seen a noticeable increase, reaching 9 dirhams per kilogram in some cities during the second week of November. This situation creates a clear disparity between the abundance of production directed towards export and the rising prices borne by the Moroccan consumer.
Observers believe that this disparity may be linked to multiple factors, including directing a large part of the production towards foreign markets with high returns, in addition to the effects of the local distribution chain, transportation costs, and marketing, as well as climatic fluctuations that sometimes affect the production allocated to the domestic market.
While Morocco consolidates its position as an exporting power in the tomato sector, the challenge today remains to find a balance that ensures continued economic growth on the one hand, and secures reasonable prices for the Moroccan consumer on the other hand, so that international success does not turn into a burden within the national market.
