COMADER Engages in talks with French tomato producers to prevent market overlap

The Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER) held several discussions with French tomato producers on the sidelines of the Paris International Agricultural Show regarding a potential agreement to prevent the overlap of Moroccan and French tomato production during the French season.

While French media had reported that a deal would be signed by mid-March, the final date and terms of the agreement have yet to be confirmed.

French media suggested that the agreement aims to avoid Moroccan cherry tomatoes competing with French tomatoes on store shelves at the beginning of the French season. 

The head of “Les Légumes de France,” the French vegetable producers’ union, stated that at least four meetings between Moroccan and French producers took place between April 2024 and the 2025 Paris Agricultural Show.

 These talks focused on creating an understanding that would prevent Moroccan cherry tomatoes from flooding the French market early in the season. The signing of this agreement is expected to take place in Rabat.

Rachid Benali, head of COMADER, confirmed that Moroccan tomato producers did indeed meet with their French counterparts during the Paris show, with the Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters (APEFEL) participating in the discussions. 

However, Benali emphasized that no agreement had been finalized, and the situation remains uncertain, with no definitive resolution yet in place.

The primary concern for French producers is the competitive pricing of Moroccan cherry tomatoes, which are grown in heated greenhouses in southern Morocco and cost significantly less to produce than their French counterparts. 

This has raised tensions, as Moroccan tomatoes are sold in French stores at the start of the French season at prices French producers cannot match. These ongoing discussions, alongside the recent reactivation of the Franco-Moroccan joint committee for fruits and vegetables, aim to ease these tensions and resolve the issue.