At a time when the Moroccan watermelon campaign is at a standstill, other origins such as Mauritania or Senegal could take advantage of the market vacuum. “It’s not automatic, and it’s not even possible this season,” replies Amine Amanatoullah, a Mauritanian producer. For his part, Mehdaoui Elmokhtar, a Senegalese producer, affirms that “European importers are asking themselves the same question. It’s technically possible, but commercially complicated.”
“In Mauritania, the campaign ended too early due to quality problems. The Mauritanian campaign usually ends in April, but customer complaints led to an abrupt end to the campaign. Yields also fell this year in the country due to a colder climate than usual.
“I do not think that the Mauritanian origin can benefit from the vacuum left by Morocco, because the best of our quality is harvested from February to April. Even the harvests at the end of April experienced quality problems and their export harms the the image of Mauritanian origin Virus, aphid and bad weather problems are widespread throughout West Africa and are not the prerogative of Morocco, not to mention that the prices are not competitive, Greece, Italy and Spain are present on the market,” adds the producer.
Mehdaoui Elmokhtar, from Senegal: “Unlike Morocco and Mauritania, we grow watermelons all year round in Senegal. The best export window is between February and April because it is difficult to compete with Morocco, which is geographically close and has better logistics. It is therefore theoretically possible to fill the gap caused by the end of the Moroccan campaign.”
Watermelon of Mauritanian origin, cultivated by Maurifarm.
The producer claims that he even receives requests from customers: “We are seeing interest in Senegalese watermelons. Just yesterday, I received requests for quotes, which is very unusual in June. But in reality, he It is difficult to extend the campaign.
“The quality that we currently produce is not exportable and is intended for the local market. We need to be protected by contracts to produce watermelons that meet European standards,” explains Mr. Mehdaoui. “We cannot fill the gap in the market overnight, and I prefer to concentrate on the local market, because it is a commercial adventure to try to export at this time of the year. logistics cost is 0.3 euro/kg, while Spanish supermarkets can sell to the end consumer at 0.3 euro/kg if they wish.”
Amanatoullah in Mauritania and Mehdaoui in Senegal agree that a return of Moroccan watermelons cannot be ruled out before the end of the season, as several regions produce watermelons, notably the Gharb region, which can offer decent volumes of good quality later in the summer.
For more information :
Mehdaoui Elmokhtar
Agro-Industrial Consulting
[email protected]
Amine Amanatoullah
Maurifarm
Tel.: +22242202297
[email protected]
