Heat Wave: Farmers calling for help
The heat wave is wreaking havoc in the Souss – Massa region. For the Moroccan Association of Producers and Exporting Producers of Fruits and Vegetables ( Apefel), the situation is worrying. «Most young vegetable and red fruit plantations suffered heavy irreversible damage reaching 100% losses «, deplores this association.
Adult plantations of banana trees, red fruits, and other fruit tree species as well as those of citrus fruits, fig trees, and olive trees also suffered “significant damage”. Sunburn plants, torn plastic greenhouses, and other damage: Apefel draws up a provisional assessment of the damage caused by the heat wave and the gusts of wind and tornadoes, which hit the region from August 10 to August 13.
“The region recorded exceptionally high temperature levels for four days. This heat wave was also manifested by gusts of very hot winds with a blowtorch effect and violent tornadoes crossing several agricultural production areas in the region”, said the Association. Its president, Khalid Saidi, underlined that “this excessive heat occurred at a very critical time of the year which corresponds to the establishment of new vegetable and red fruit planting programs”. Khalid Saidi thus alerts the Ministry of Agriculture to the consequences of this damage, in particular the risk of a shortage of vegetables, particularly tomatoes, on the local market. Exports are also threatened. “The extent of the damage will certainly cause disruptions and delays in volumes and supply schedules for both internal and external markets”, warns the association, in a letter addressed to the line ministry. Producers, bound by commercial contracts with foreign customers, fear for their international market share.
Apefel launches an SOS to the Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers in the region who have suffered losses. The association calls for the establishment of “an urgent and exceptional aid program” to support the producers affected. “The extent of the losses suffered by our producers, both on the structures and on plant material, requires significant financial mobilization to be able to initiate programs to make up for lost crops”, says Apefel.
.The Regional offices of the Ministry to the rescue
The farmers also ask the ministry to mobilize the teams of the DRA (Regional Directorate of Agriculture) to « take stock of the situation and make an overall assessment of the damage in kind, in volumes, and in financial losses «. “Currently, it is impossible for us to draw up a complete assessment of the losses. We need the help of the DRA to carry out this operation”, explains Khalid Saidi, who does not hide his concern about the plantation catch-up program. “The preparation of the grafted tomato plants as an example requires at least 2 months in the nursery. There will be a delay in our production schedules. Production will be affected in terms of volume”, laments the president of Apefel.
Khadija SKALLI
