Many watermelon growers in Morocco have recently taken to social media to express their dismay at the collapse of prices in the local market. Farm-gate prices have fallen to levels they consider disastrous, down to 0.5 MAD (0.046 EUR) per kilo.

This turn of events, however, was to be expected, and its first signs were visible quite some time ago, according to Said Aghzou, CEO of Valyour and a fruit and vegetable grower and exporter. He explains, “Growing conditions for watermelons have improved significantly this season, not only in Morocco but also in other countries such as Spain. There has been an enormous surplus of watermelons on the market, more than demand can absorb.”

© Valyour

With supply running high, market openings at this point in the season are limited, according to Aghzou. He adds, “The vast majority of exporters wrapped up their season by the end of June. The few exporters who are still operating at this stage deserve a lot of credit, given the fierce competition in the European market. The market is saturated, and export prices are also very low.”

“The end of the export season was also difficult from a commercial standpoint, with heavy production in Morocco and from competitors, including abundant domestic production in Europe and late shipments by Mauritanian exporters,” Aghzou concludes.

For their part, growers in the later cycles of the season, particularly in the north of the country, are facing an already saturated local and international market before they even harvest. Images widely shared on social media show disappointed growers destroying their watermelons.

For more information:
Saïd Aghzou
Valyour
Tel: +212 6615 52683
Email: [email protected]







Publication date:

Tue 11 Aug 2026





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