Morocco pauses tomato exports to African markets amid domestic price pressure

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Morocco halts tomato exports

Highlights

Morocco temporarily paused tomato exports to African markets to prioritise domestic supply after prices rose due to weaker productivity and higher input costs.
Tomato exports to European markets, which yield higher prices, remain unaffected by the new restrictions on African shipments, according to a government source.
Morocco’s broader food inflation policy includes export regulation, continued transport subsidies, and the planned creation of regional distribution companies to reduce costs and intermediaries.

Export curbs target local supply

As reported by Reuters, Moroccan exporters serving African markets were informed on Thursday that tomato shipments would be paused as authorities try to organise supply and reduce pressure on domestic prices.

Tomato prices have risen in Morocco because of weaker productivity in Souss Massa, the country's main producing region, alongside higher fertiliser and fuel costs. Lahoucine Aderdour, head of the fresh produce exporters federation FIFEL, said exporters had been notified of the decision but did not provide further details.

A government source said the halt is temporary and that exports would resume soon. The source added that tomatoes shipped to European markets, which are sold at higher prices, are not affected by the measure.

Food inflation remains policy focus

Morocco has restricted exports of some fresh produce in previous years to prioritise domestic consumption, and the latest step fits a broader government push to contain food costs. Government spokesman Samir Belfquih did not directly answer a question on the tomato halt on Thursday, but said the government gives priority to food sovereignty.

Last week, Finance Minister Fouzi Lekjaa said the government would regulate food exports to help bring down prices. Authorities have also maintained transport subsidies to support price stability and plan to create regional distribution companies to cut the role of intermediaries and lower food costs.

The export pause affects a relatively small market for Morocco, which is the second-largest tomato exporter to the EU. Agricultural exports still rose 4.3% year on year to 33.1 billion dirhams, or about $3.4 billion, in the first nine months of this year.

Our earlier coverage of Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption showed how rising fuel and transport costs, alongside interruptions to fertilizer flows, are starting to hit harvests and influence planting decisions. We noted that lower fertilizer use and higher operating expenses were already lifting agricultural commodity prices and increasing food-security risks, especially across parts of Asia and Africa.

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