Challenges Facing Wholesale Markets in Morocco
Similar to various sectors across Morocco, the wholesale markets for fruits and vegetables in several cities are experiencing significantly limited commercial activity. This decline is primarily attributed to a decrease in demand and a continuing shortage of labor, coinciding with the Eid al-Adha holiday. According to industry sources, some traders and professionals resumed their operations starting from the second day of the holiday, anticipating that the wholesale markets will gradually regain their commercial momentum in the coming week as labor returns and the supply of agricultural products from farms normalizes.
Abdelrazak Shabi, the president of the Casablanca wholesale fruit and vegetable market traders' association, noted that "some wholesale markets in the kingdom resumed their commercial activities since the second day of Eid al-Adha." He pointed out that the current commercial activity is characterized by a weak supply due to a scarcity of available goods, along with the absence of all workers returning to their duties and the continued closure of most refrigeration warehouses.
Shabi explained in an interview with Hespress that "the drop in the quantity of goods on offer is automatically accompanied by a noticeable decline in demand, as citizens abundantly purchased their agricultural product needs before the holiday to avoid any potential shortages resulting from the temporary closure of retail shops in the days following the occasion." In this regard, the association president mentioned that "the complete return to commercial activity in wholesale markets will happen gradually over at least a week," emphasizing that "the workforce and transporters primarily come from areas like the Atlas and Souss regions, and they regard this occasion as a rare annual opportunity to visit their families and take a break."
The spokesperson further clarified that "the limited number of sellers operating immediately after the holiday are those with private transport means or those with available suppliers within the farms during this period." Meanwhile, a professional source from the wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Inzegan indicated that "access to the market on Friday was limited to a few carts loaded with various types of fruits and vegetables." They noted that "unlike normal times, only one entry point was opened to access the space," revealing that "the return of activity will be gradual and will be fully realized during the week ahead."
As reported by hespress.com.
