The tomato, the first fruit prized by households, and in these times when the holy month of Ramadan is on the horizon of the month, has been experiencing an upward fluctuation in its price for a few days on market stalls and souks.
The selling price of tomatoes per kilo fluctuates from 10 dirhams. Even in the cheapest markets like Derb Ghalef (Zemmouri) in Casablanca a week ago, the tomato if it turns red was worth between 7 and 8 dirhams per kilo. This worrying increase, whereas it had not exceeded 5 dirhams, only a few days ago. It even arouses the discontent of the citizens, thus making uncomfortable with their customers, the sellers of vegetables forced to submit to the speculative diktat.
In this regard, Abderrazak Chebbi, Secretary General of the Casablanca Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market Association, explained to MoroccoLatestNews that “the reason for the high selling prices of the tomato these days is due to the export process to which the fruit is subjected“. He pointed out that “nowadays, the Moroccan tomato is in great demand on the European market and it reaches 13 dirhams per kilogram for export“. Somewhat visionary Chebbi indicated that “the selling price of this substance will rise even more than it is today, if we do not intervene quickly to slow down the process of tomato export and ensure local self-sufficiency“.
He also pointed out that sector managers “must find a solution to this problem, because tomato prices will inexorably increase on the wholesale marketsand so, in markets and souks nationwide as Ramadan approaches. Our interlocutor reluctantly having added that “the export process is at the origin of this increase, at a time when intermediaries are accused of being at the origin of it“. This is a binding situation for the housewife’s basket, which will have to suffer the misdeeds of speculation on its most prized commodity, the tomato.
However, the Ministry of the Interior had confirmed a few days ago that the volume of stocks and the quantities expected to supply and distribute foodstuffs and the rest of the basic materials are sufficient to meet demand during the holy month. of Ramadan and the coming months for all commodities, especially those in high demand before and during the holy month. It would seem that with this rise in the price of tomatoes to make households blush with rage, not.
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