Heatwave: Big impact on fruit and vegetables
The heatwave of the past few days has not been without damage to crops. High temperatures and a lack of water are causing heat stress for plants, reducing their growth and development. This is particularly true of red fruit.
«The high heat has left its mark on plant development. In some regions, it has burned the buds. We’ll have to wait another two weeks for another bud to appear. In other regions, the plant has been completely lost, requiring a new planting operation. This will affect next year’s production. There will be a delay in the harvest «, said Amine Bennani, President of the Moroccan Association of Red Fruit Producers (AMPFR).
According to this professional, we’ll have to wait a few days to assess the losses in figures. «We are in the process of gathering information from various regions. According to initial reports, the heatwave has had a significant impact on Agadir and Taroudant, where temperatures have reached almost 50 degrees Celsius «, he added.
Irrigating day and night
In Souss-Massa, the country’s leading early fruit and citrus-growing region, there are no alarm bells ringing. However, farmers are facing a new burden in the form of higher energy costs for irrigation. «Because of the high heat, farmers have to irrigate their plantations both during the day and at night. This generates an additional cost «, stressed a professional.
The cultivated agricultural area in Souss-Massa is 451,165 hectares, of which more than 106,000 hectares are equipped with drip irrigation systems.
In Taroudant and Oulad Berhil, the losses are enormous. «In Chtouka, there was nothing to report. Temperatures were between 32 and 34°C. No significant impact on crops. However, in the Taroudant and Oulad Berhil regions, the damage is considerable. Crop losses for watermelons and melons are estimated at between 30 and 40% «, laments Abdelaziz El Maanaoui, President of the Chtouka Producers’ Association.
Burnt lettuce plants
La The growing of lettuce also suffered from the heat. «Young lettuce plants were significantly affected by the heatwave. The loss is both quantitative and qualitative. The high temperatures caused burns to growing plants. As a result, the plant’s growth is stunted, and we lose the plant. We have to carry out a new planting operation «, explained Driss El Assal, agricultural engineer in the El Jadida-Azemmour region. This has repercussions on supplies to the local market, adds this professional, who expresses his concern about the hot weather. « It is becoming a recurring problem every year. It has become a structural problem with climate change «, he said. In Mnatra, 20 kilometers ( 12 miles) from Kenitra, the Saladeo company, run by Karim Chemaou, also grows lettuce for the industrial market.
Khadija SKALLI
