Morocco weighs import options as onion, potato prices rise

Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture has expressed reservations about a request from importers to bring in onions and potatoes from Egypt and Turkey to ease rising prices in the domestic market, a professional source told Hespress AR.

The source said importers selected the two countries due to lower costs compared with other suppliers, which could help deliver the products to Moroccan consumers at more affordable prices and stabilize the market.

In a related development, the same source said Morocco has seen a recent slowdown in vegetable exports to some African markets due to multiple factors, raising concerns about losing ground to competing suppliers.

Some countries are increasingly turning to alternative sources while also encouraging local farmers to expand production and target export markets, the source said, warning that Moroccan producers face growing challenges in maintaining their market share abroad.

Bouazza Kharrati, president of the Moroccan Consumer Protection Federation, said current import policies favor suppliers at the expense of consumers.

He argued that calls to import onions are not aimed at lowering prices, but at increasing profits for importers, who can buy cheaply abroad and sell at significantly higher prices locally.

Kharrati also criticized the continued export of onions while the domestic market faces shortages and high prices, calling for structural measures, including the creation of an independent national body to regulate markets and protect consumers.

He added that authorities should consider restricting exports during periods of domestic shortage, saying institutions that promote exports should not be solely responsible for consumer protection.

Abdelkrim Chafai, head of the regional consumer rights federation in the Souss-Massa region, said significant and unjustified price gaps persist between wholesale and retail markets.

He noted that prices remain high despite large imports from Spain and Netherlands at relatively low cost, suggesting a disconnect between import prices and final consumer prices.

Chafai said imports alone will not resolve the issue, arguing that some actors exploit the system for excessive profit without passing benefits on to consumers.

He stressed that addressing the problem requires stricter export controls during shortages and deeper reform of wholesale markets to limit the influence of intermediaries and speculators.

Chafai drew parallels with the meat sector, where imported products are also sold at high prices despite lower acquisition costs, reinforcing the need for better market regulation and transparency.