Farmers forecast tomato deficit in holy month of Ramadan

Head of the Moroccan association of citrus fruit producers Ahmed Derrab said there will be relative deficit in tomato production in December which coincides with the holy month of Ramadan entailing increased demand and higher prices.

Derrab told the 2M television channel Tuesday evening all parties concerned ought to take emergency measures to fight the virus carried by white-flies to limit propagation and production slump. He said nobody was to blame for the white-fly threat or other harmful insects which can hit any country.

White fly has damaged an estimated 200,000 tons of tomato crops, said the association of fruit and vegetable producers and exporters, deploring the loss of a large of part of the tomato crops in Agadir (southwestern Morocco) and the subsequent canceling of orders by several exporters.