Morocco set for bumper avocado harvest but there are market concerns amid smaller fruit sizes

(29 Dec 2023)
MOROCCO AVOCADO

LENGTH: 6:48

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Larache, Morocco - 02 December 2023

1. Various of avocado trees on avocado farm and workers picking fruit
2. Various of Abdellah Elyamlahi, President of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters, and farmer Mohamed Lakchouch checking an avocado tree
3. Various of avocado trees with fruit
4. Wide of avocado farm
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdellah Elyamlahi, President of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters:
"The northern region of Morocco experiences rainfall and there are important water reserves, unlike southern Morocco, such as Agadir and the Sahara. 20% of the increase in production is due to the growth of farms."

6. Various of farm workers with baskets walking towards avocado trees
7. Worker picking avocado
8. Avocado being put in basket
9. More of worker picking avocados
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Lakchouch, avocado producer in Larache:
"I also have an increase in production. I had young trees. So, it is normal for the production to increase with each year. There are other factors that play a role in increasing the production, for example, the absence of both ice and high temperatures and wind as well. So, with the presence of suitable climatic conditions the production increases."

11. Various of Elyamlahi checking avocados
12. Various of avocado tree
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Lakchouch, avocado producer in Larache:
"The problems that the avocado tree suffers from are excessive heat and strong winds, such as what we recently suffered from, which reached 120 kilometres per hour. These factors can cause major losses to avocado trees because they are very sensitive, and this is what causes the fruit to fall to the ground, as happened here."

14. Wide of irrigation facility at Lakchouch's avocado farm
15. Mid of water tank
16. Wide of water basin
17. Various of drop by drop irrigation system under avocado trees
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Lakchouch, avocado producer in Larache:
"Each avocado tree can consume approximately 30 litres per hour, and the amount can change according to the seasons. We can use only half that amount, almost 15 litres per hour, and it can reach as much as 60 litres per hour."

19. Various of avocado trees

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rabat, Morocco - 02 December 2023

20. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mustapha Laissate, environment researcher in Rabat:
"The state has now developed a strategy to confront water scarcity. In this context, it is necessary to regulate the cultivation of these types of trees, as well as watermelons, which must be in areas characterized by abundant water, such as the Lookkos Basin and the Gharb region. However, their presence is difficult in areas where we need drinking water and where livestock and factories are located, in order to avoid an imbalance in water resources that should cover other areas."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Larache, Morocco - 02 December 2023

21. Wide of worker at avocado export unit opening the door of the refrigerated storage
22. Various of avocados in refrigerated storage
23. Pan of a forklift transferring avocado baskets to weighing scales
24. Close of weight
25. Wide of baskets on the scales
26. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdellah Elyamlahi, President of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters:

27. Wide of a worker putting avocados onto conveyor belt
28. Close of avocados on conveyor belt
29. Various of avocados in grading machine
30. Various of worker packing avocados
31. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdellah Elyamlahi, President of the Moroccan Association of Avocado Exporters:






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