Head of Morocco’s avocado exporters fends off water usage criticism amidst record exports
The Inspirer.
Head of the Moroccan Avocado Association, Abdellah Elyamlahi, defended Morocco’s booming avocado industry against a backlash campaign criticizing the crop’s intensive water stress on the country’s resources during extended drought.
Elyamlahi said perceptions of avocado as a water-intensive crop are “a myth not backed up by scientific evidence,” as unprecedented demand for Morocco’s avocado production put the country on the map as a top exporter about with 42-45 thousand tons shipped to Europe in 2023. By 2027, the country plans to triple avocado production to 100,000 tons.
The plans have received a wave of backlash as the country navigates a critical era of water scarcity and needs to adapt agricultural practices to preserve water.
Each avocado requires approximately 70 liters of water to grow, more than 12 times as much as it takes to grow a tomato.
But for Elyamlahi, water use in Morocco’s avocado production is “reasonable and manageable.”
Citing a research paper called “Debunking the Myths,” the head of Morocco’s avocado association said avocado cultivation requires a similar amount of water as other crops, such as apples and pears, highlighting that its water consumption is even much less compared to coffee and other water-intensive crops, “which nobody criticizes.”
He attributed the abundant avocado production in the country to implementing the Green Morocco plan, which, while it encourages exports of Morocco’s produce, it has also introduced drip irrigation, allowing cultivators to manage better and control the amount of water required for avocado trees.
“We only take the necessary amount of water for the crop’s survival, which contrasts to what is claimed that avocado is a water-intensive crop,” emphasized Elyamlahi.
An Agronomist at Netafim, a company seeking to onboard new avocado regions in Morocco, said that continuous irrigation, even with no rainfall for 11 months of the year, can double the avocados yield.
In Morocco, the irrigated landscape spans more than 1.46 million hectares, representing roughly 17% of the nation’s total agricultural expanse. But, high investment costs and non-familiarity with drip irrigation have continued to pose difficulties in generalizing the technology beyond medium and large-size cultivators.
Further defending avocado cultivation in Morocco, Elyamlahi said plantations are concentrated in the northern areas of Laarach and Kenitra, where water shortages are less acute.
These areas have more groundwater reserves and received some rainfall last year, making them more ideal for avocado production than the drought-prone southern regions.
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