Morocco's banana producers set up federation

Morocco's Banana producers set up in Casablanca last week a national federation that will seek to organize the sector, encourage scientific research and promote the use of modern production techniques.

In a statement sent to MAP, banana producers voiced determination to take up the globalization challenge and to protect the sector that scored tremendous progress over the past years and that provides more than 250,000 jobs.

The federation, the statement said, will focus action on improving the Moroccan product quality, regulating the local market and seeking new outlets abroad.

It will spare no effort to impose a total ban on foreign banana imports that seriously threaten the local product, the statement said.

The importation of bananas -- 11,231 tons in 1999 -- has been regulated, since last October, by the import certificate. The measure, expiring this April 15, was enforced to protect the Morocco produced banana.

In Morocco, Banana grows in green houses over a 3500 hectare surface area and yields about 100,000 tons per year.