Data from agriculture-focused website Hortoinfo, based on COMTRADE statistics, shows that Morocco's watermelon exports to France increased by 155% between 2015 and 2024.
Moroccan watermelon shipments to France rose from 23.96 million kilograms in 2015 to 61.13 million kilograms in 2024. The United Kingdom imported 9.94 million kilograms of watermelon from Morocco in 2024, while Spain imported 28.7 million kilograms during the same year.
This growth in exports comes as Morocco continues to experience a prolonged drought, now in its sixth consecutive season. Watermelons, classified as water-intensive crops, require regular irrigation during development, estimated at 1–2 inches of water per week.
In response to water scarcity, Moroccan authorities have implemented various measures aimed at promoting the rational use of water resources. These measures include awareness campaigns and restrictions such as the cancellation of the Eid Al Adha sacrifice ritual and a ban on slaughtering female sheep and goats to maintain breeding stock.
Multiple reports have highlighted the ongoing water stress in Morocco. A recent study by the US-based National Drought Mitigation Center, conducted in partnership with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, identified Morocco among the drought-prone countries in the Mediterranean basin.
The study notes that drought has been a recurring feature of Morocco's climate and has become more persistent since the early 1900s. It also projects that Morocco "should become more arid over the 21st century."
Source: Morocco World News