We thought the anger of European farmers had passed. However, despite the end of the European jacqueries last December, repeated articles, videos and tendentious content continue to specifically target Moroccan tomatoes, presented as the symbol of unfair competition.
The title of the first episode of the French daily The world leaves no doubt: “The hidden face of Moroccan tomatoes sold in Europe: video investigation into low-cost labor”. From the start, the article sets the tone: “It is south of Agadir, under thousands of hectares of greenhouses, that red gold is produced by underpaid workers! »
It is no coincidence that the French media is interested in producers from the south of Morocco, since two weeks ago, the site Africa Intelligence, close to the Élysée, dwelled in great detail on the succession decisions of the agricultural group Tazi (GAT) in an article with the revealing title: “Drought, European pressures… the tomato giant Azura in search of solutions! »
Read also | COMADER denounces “premeditated attacks” against Moroccan tomatoes in France
The concomitance of content denigrating the famous vegetables from the kingdom with the resumption of attacks against its exports to Europe is no longer in doubt, as the illegal seizures of stocks of Moroccan tomatoes follow one another and are so similar. A few weeks ago in Perpignan, farmers heated by the three French agricultural union organizations targeted Moroccan products. The FDSEA, Légumes de France and Jeunes Agriculteurs had launched a call to demonstrate against “massive imports of Moroccan tomatoes”, which they accuse of unfair competition, demanding in passing a more visible display of the origin of the products for French consumers .
The manipulation did not escape the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER), which was quick to denounce actions deemed premeditated and unfounded. “These attacks against Moroccan tomatoes are incomprehensible and based on fallacious arguments,” recalled COMADER, specifying that Moroccan tomatoes are exported to France within a legal framework, in accordance with the agricultural agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union.
COMADER recalled that the strict controls imposed by the Europeans themselves represent a guarantee for a product that perfectly meets the standards and requirements in force before its entry into the French and European markets.
In order not to leave any doubt about the real sponsors of these attacks, professionals in the sector wanted to protest “against the lack of rigor of the French authorities in the face of the multiplication of these incidents”: “We deplore the lack of rigor competent French authorities in the face of the worrying increase in fierce attacks against agricultural products of Moroccan origin. »
Read also | Moroccan tomatoes: an economic success that is making people cringe in France [Vidéo]
In reality, despite the clichés and preconceived ideas conveyed by the French press, agricultural producers in Spain and France are not in direct competition with exporters and producers of fruit and vegetables in Morocco. To put an end to these clichés, you just need to know that the cost of labor, often put forward by the kingdom’s detractors, is completely false. The figures show a different reality: 4.7 to 5 people per hectare are needed in Morocco, compared to only 1.25 in France due to the advancement of technologies in this country.
It is up to European political leaders not to export the crisis which is shaking the agricultural world. We must not forget that this major economic and social crisis which is looming, with the risk of having several thousand farmers unemployed and a planned collapse of the tomato sector, cannot be resolved to the detriment of a loyal agricultural partner. like Morocco. The latter has taken care for decades to comply with the often unfair and unjustified wishes of the European side. The task facing governments is daunting, but Morocco is no longer a French colony.
