According to EastFruit, pepper production in Morocco has dropped this week due to the arrival of colder temperatures, and the viral pressure from TSW and PMMV in the Souss Massa region. According to Obeida Mansour, a pepper producer in Agadir, production has declined by 30 to 40% on his farms.
“Temperatures have dropped to 8-9°C at night and 20-21°C during the day in this region, affecting production yields in our greenhouses. Producers who opted for virus-sensitive varieties have experienced significant crop losses. We at Universal Peppers were fortunate to have adopted resistant varieties on 60% of our hectares this season. However, we are also suffering viral pressure on the rest of the crop,” Mansour stated, writes Freshplaza.
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The drop in production could translate into higher prices; an impact that will be felt in the medium term. “The drop in harvest volumes coincides with a decrease in demand due to the European holidays. Prices could increase starting January with the drop in temperatures,” Mansour said.
“The producers most affected by the drop in demand at the end of the year are those who grow Californian peppers, the most sought-after in the UK. At Universal Peppers, we plan to continue exporting at least three trucks per week until January, as we grow the Kapi variety, which is favored by the Turkish and Arab diaspora in Germany, a huge market, and is also popular in Eastern Europe,” he added.
Morocco set a new export record for California peppers this year, according to EastFruit. From January to August, Moroccan suppliers exported nearly 150,000 tons of California peppers, i.e. 20% more than in the same period of 2023.
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