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Axarquia fruit farmers choose Morocco
Morocco
Wednesday 10 December 2008
Fuit farmers from the Axarquia area (Sapin) have begun to invest in plantations in Morocco to grow tropical fruit due to the abundance of cheap plots and water. Several Malaga business people started investing in Morocco almost 20 years ago, growing avocados, mangos, strawberries and plants near Larache.
Now, two of the most important businessmen from the avocado and tomato sector in the Axarquia region, have joined a Valencian citrus fruit producer and a Moroccan farmer in a project to grow subtropical fruit on 100 hectares of land in Morocco.
They are not the only ones, as many farmers are flocking to Morocco and creating societies with local businessmen to grow exotic fruits including lychees and papayas, which are currently in great demand on the European market. The price of land and production, the weather and the abundance of water in Morocco make these ventures extremely profitable, and although the market is just beginning to open to this kind of production in the North African country, a great expansion is expected.
Both the Spanish farmers and the Moroccan people who can find work on the farms, mainly in the Kenitra and Larache areas, are benefiting from this situation. The produce is then sold in both countries, with tropical fruit and ornamental plants becoming increasingly attractive. They are also exported to Portugal, Italy and Tunisia, and almost 60 per cent of the produce is totally ecological. Another popular crop for Spanish production in Morocco is the olive tree, which is grown on more than 600,000 hectares throughout the country.
Now, two of the most important businessmen from the avocado and tomato sector in the Axarquia region, have joined a Valencian citrus fruit producer and a Moroccan farmer in a project to grow subtropical fruit on 100 hectares of land in Morocco.
They are not the only ones, as many farmers are flocking to Morocco and creating societies with local businessmen to grow exotic fruits including lychees and papayas, which are currently in great demand on the European market. The price of land and production, the weather and the abundance of water in Morocco make these ventures extremely profitable, and although the market is just beginning to open to this kind of production in the North African country, a great expansion is expected.
Both the Spanish farmers and the Moroccan people who can find work on the farms, mainly in the Kenitra and Larache areas, are benefiting from this situation. The produce is then sold in both countries, with tropical fruit and ornamental plants becoming increasingly attractive. They are also exported to Portugal, Italy and Tunisia, and almost 60 per cent of the produce is totally ecological. Another popular crop for Spanish production in Morocco is the olive tree, which is grown on more than 600,000 hectares throughout the country.
