Marruecos: Morocco Relies on Seed Potatoes Imports for Production

Rabat - Seeds potatoes are the second most imported products in Morocco following dates in terms of volumes, according to new data.

The agriculture-focused news outlet EastFruit said that potato seeds are also fifth in terms of value, stressing that the North African country spent over $40 million on the products’ imports in the 2022-2023 season.

During the same season, Morocco purchased over 60,000 tonnes of potato seeds for planting, showcasing a significant uptrend in Morocco’s imports in the past five years.

The main markets for potato seeds are the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, and France.

According to the newly unveiled data, Dutch supplies account for the largest part of the Moroccan market.

EastFruit emphasized that Morocco has a “well-organized potato” production, acknowledging imports of the product’s contribution to the large production.

The Moroccan imports reached a peak during the winter season.

According to statistics provider Statista, Morocco’s potato production reached 1.6 million metric tonnes in 2019, showing a slight decrease compared to 2019, when the country produced two million metric tons.

“Together with sugar crops and cereals, potatoes represent the leading agricultural products in Morocco,” the website added.

Morocco is facing the severest drought in the past four decades, with the government pledging several measures to tackle the situation.

Such measures, however, were heavily criticized, particularly due to the continued exports of Moroccan goods to the international market amid inflation and skyrocketing prices.

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