The berry sector, experiencing rapid growth and boasting a significant economic potential, faces a range of complex challenges related to production, the environment, and resource management.
Leveraging its strengths – quality, sustainability, and a win-win strategy between the European Union and Morocco – the sector must adapt to the rapid changes of an ever-evolving global market.
Climate and environment
The sector is exposed to extreme weather conditions: winds exceeding 100 km/h, heavy rainfall (up to 170 mm) in the northern regions, and soaring temperatures surpassing 51°C (around 124°F) in the Agadir area.
These intense conditions not only shift seasonal timelines and production windows but also cause yield losses ranging from 5% to 20%.
Furthermore, water scarcity, especially in the Agadir region, makes irrigation management a crucial concern.
To reduce water use, producers rely on technologies such as sensors and probes, but the rising cost per cubic meter continues to impact production profitability.
Costs and supplies
Cost inflation weighs heavily on the entire supply chain.
Rising wages, fuel prices, fertilizers, plant protection products, plastic materials, and land rental fees all threaten the competitiveness of agricultural businesses.
These additional costs force industry players to rethink their management strategies and invest in more cost-effective and sustainable solutions.
Nursery plants and plant health
The sector is largely dependent on imported nursery plants – around 93% come from Spain – highlighting the urgent need to develop a local supply chain.
The emergence of threats such as Xylella in Spain reinforces the necessity to boost domestic production, ensuring supply and better quality control of young plants.
The challenge is therefore ambitious: to establish a local plant production and propagation chain that is both efficient and sustainable.
Pests and labor
As production intensifies, the fight against pests has become a daily issue.
Managing harmful insects such as thrips, mites, aphids, and Drosophila requires constant attention, especially as the range of authorized active substances becomes increasingly limited.
The human factor remains one of the main critical issues.
During harvest periods, labor availability is inconsistent, with losses exceeding 15% for some exports (blueberries and raspberries).
Alongside the lack of motivation and the need to encourage young people into part-time seasonal work, there is also a pressing need to develop proper infrastructure to host workers from other areas.
These challenges highlight the urgency of a more innovative and socially-oriented labor management strategy in the sector.
Future outlook
The berry sector, while offering promising prospects thanks to its quality and dynamism, must tackle numerous challenges: extreme weather conditions, rising production costs, dependence on foreign inputs, phytosanitary issues, and labor shortages.
To ensure sustainable and competitive growth, it is essential for stakeholders to invest in innovative technologies, strengthen local plant production, and adopt agricultural practices that are more resilient to climate unpredictability.
Although complex, this transformation represents an opportunity to strengthen and enhance a key sector for the economies of Morocco and Europe.
Text and image source: Greensmile
