Severe weather in Morocco and Spain over recent days has disrupted agricultural trade, particularly in the fruit and vegetable sector, causing significant losses in production areas and pushing prices higher in European markets.
In northern Morocco, strong winds and waves of up to five meters forced a temporary closure of Tangier Med port, delaying exports to Europe and creating truck queues stretching over 40 kilometres toward the Strait of Gibraltar. Mudslides, blocked roads, and high winds further hampered transport, leaving shipments stranded.
In Spain, heavy rains and gusty storms impacted key farming regions, including Almeria, Huelva, and Murcia. Flooding submerged greenhouses in Almeria, while power cuts and storm damage halted harvesting and packing operations.
Pieter de Ruijter of 4Fruit Company in Ridderkerk described the situation as a total disruption to trade, with vehicles flooded up to their doors and many greenhouses underwater.
In Huelva, storm winds flattened some greenhouses in the soft fruit-growing areas, while in Murcia, icebergs lettuce production was heavily damaged, forcing farmers to remove many leaves and reducing overall yields.
The disruption has caused vegetable prices to rise sharply, and trade is expected to remain slow in the coming days. Spanish haulage firms have also warned of mounting traffic jams, with hundreds of Moroccan trucks stranded in Algeciras after port authorities restricted container and general cargo movements due to storm conditions.
The Algeciras Bay Container Hauliers Association noted that the port was becoming a holding area for incoming trucks from Tangier Med, intensifying logistical bottlenecks.
Within Morocco, repeated red and orange weather alerts across several regions have slowed harvesting and transport operations, raising production costs and complicating supply chains.
According to industry sources and FIFEL president Al Houssine Aderdoure, heavy rains have disrupted the processes that bring fruits and vegetables to consumers, putting additional financial and logistical pressure on the agricultural sector.
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