Kehinde Adegoke | Hespress
After being banned from Europe due to fruit fly contamination, Malian mango exporters are now targeting Morocco. This move prompts warnings from lawmakers who fear the pest-riddled fruit may damage Moroccan farms and threaten the vital citrus industry.
This dependence on alternative markets follows the EU ban, which has left Malian exporters seeking new trading partners.
MP Aicha El Kout of the PJD warns in a written question to the Minister of Agriculture about the risks posed by Malian exporters already flooding the Moroccan market with produce that does not meet strict European health standards—a move that raises specific concerns about potential threats to Moroccan farmers and agricultural professionals.
Building on these concerns, she noted that the fruit fly is among the most harmful cross-border pests, directly threatening Moroccan farms, particularly the vital citrus sector.
These warnings come after the European Union’s temporary suspension of Mali’s mango imports in September 2025, citing repeated sanitary interceptions linked to fruit flies since 2022. The move disrupted Mali’s export system, hitting its main market, which had absorbed around 80% of nearly $11 million in mango exports in 2024.
Supporting these concerns, European authorities intercepted more than 63 Malian mango shipments last season due to fruit fly contamination, underscoring the ongoing risk of pest introduction.
Despite these challenges, Ali Chettour, president of the Moroccan Association for Consumer Rights Protection and member of the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights, emphasised that any food product—whether imported or locally produced—is subject to ONSSA control in line with current regulations to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.
He further noted the need for robust consumer protection, calling for stronger monitoring and greater awareness to address these ongoing challenges.
On the market front, Morocco’s mango imports have been rising steadily in recent years, reaching a record 15,600 tonnes in 2024—up 10% from the previous year, and nearly double the volumes of 2019 and 2020.
This upward trajectory is further reflected by the annual growth of around 15% since 2020.
Reflecting this momentum, 2025 imports reached 2,500 tonnes in January and February alone—about three times the amount for the same period last year, according to EastFruit.
The data also show that imports persist year-round, peaking between March and May, and are mainly sourced from African countries, especially Mali and Senegal.