With Morocco’s prickly pear season approaching, renewed outbreaks of the invasive cochineal insect have been detected in fields near Safi and Taroudant, reigniting fears among farmers and consumers over fruit quality and food safety.
The pest, which feeds on cactus sap, leaves fruit shriveled and deformed. Associations like “Yad El Fellah” confirm the insect’s resurgence in untreated areas, raising concerns about public health and agricultural losses.
Farmer Abdelhakim warned that the insect penetrates deep into cactus pads, spreading rapidly and reducing soil fertility.
Calls are growing for stricter monitoring and a ban on marketing fruit from infested plots to prevent further harm to consumers and to safeguard Morocco’s iconic cactus-based econom
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