The tomato campaign in Morocco's Souss Massa region is once again contending with a familiar set of structural constraints, including water shortages and erratic weather.

"We continue to face the same challenges we've seen in previous seasons, although this year they're taking different shapes," says Amine Amanatoullah, secretary general of the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation for Fruit and Vegetable Production and Export (FIFEL). "While the country has emerged from drought and dam reserves are high, we still deal with water shortages that disrupt and complicate farming operations and may lead to delays and losses."

Amanatoullah attributes the problem to unresolved irrigation infrastructure issues combined with depleted groundwater. "The Youssef Ben Tachfine dam, a key water source for the region, has not yet been reopened due to ongoing and behind-schedule pipeline repairs," he explains.

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Recurring breakdowns at the Chtouka Ait Baha seawater desalination plant leave growers without a reliable alternative. "The desalination plant has been experiencing outages that take a considerable amount of time to resolve, sometimes exceeding ten days," Amanatoullah says. "As a result, many producers have had to use water tankers, which comes at a significantly higher cost."

This has led to increased conductivity levels in irrigation water, pushing growers to offset the salinity with more extensive nutrition programs, according to the growers' representative. "This issue is widespread in the region but is particularly acute in Chtouka and Taroudant."

Heat has added a second layer of pressure this season, with hot winds causing tangible field damage. "We've experienced episodes of hot wind and thermal shock that have caused real damage to plants. Young plants have been especially vulnerable under the combined effect of heat and water stress, to the point that misting has become a necessary intervention to help them through," Amanatoullah says.

Growing conditions have influenced planting decisions this season, with round tomato acreage continuing the contracting trend recorded in recent years. "Surface area planted with round tomatoes has declined by 10-15% again this season, as a result of both agronomic and commercial considerations," he notes.

Together, these pressures are likely to push back the winter tomato cycle once again. "We're seeing issues with the first clusters, such as disorders in size uniformity, and a general drop in yields. We're therefore anticipating a delay of 10 to 15 days for the next cycle, instead of the usual early October start," Amanatoullah adds.

"The climate in Souss Massa has become increasingly unstable, and that instability is now compounded by technical and infrastructure problems that need urgent attention," he concludes.

For more information:
Amine Amanatoullah
Moroccan Interprofessional Federation for Fruit and Vegetable Production and Export (FIFEL)
Tel: +212 661 281321
Email: [email protected]