FRANCE – French farmers took to the streets of Perpignan on May 16, protesting against the increasing imports of Moroccan tomatoes.

The demonstration, organized by Légumes de France along with the FDSEA 66 and JA 66 unions, began at 9 a.m. The farmers marched from Saint-Charles to the southern tollgate of the A9 highway, aiming to draw attention to the impact of these imports on the local agriculture industry.

French tomato producers have expressed their frustration over the rising volume of Moroccan tomatoes in the European market. Between 2014 and 2023, Moroccan tomato imports into the EU surged by over 40%, increasing from 345,000 tons to nearly 492,000 tons. French farmers argue that their own production is sufficient to meet domestic demand and are demanding fairer competition practices.

“French production is large enough to meet the domestic demand,” said a spokesperson from Légumes de France. “Farmers are furious about the massive imports of Moroccan produce,” especially during the French harvest season.

The timing of these imports is a major concern for French farmers, as Moroccan cherry tomatoes are prevalent on store shelves during the peak of the French production period, from April to October.

This saturation of Moroccan produce leads to a decline in sales of French tomatoes, putting local growers at a significant disadvantage.

Supermarkets have been criticized for favoring Moroccan tomatoes over French ones. “The French cherry tomato production is currently large enough to meet the consumer demand, but supermarket chains are deliberately choosing to snub French tomatoes in favor of Moroccan tomatoes,” the spokesperson added.

Farmers are urging French and European authorities to address their concerns by revising current trade agreements and enhancing product labeling regulations. They are specifically calling for a review of the EU-Morocco agricultural agreements and improvements in consumer information regulations to make the origin of products more visible.

They propose that the flag of the producer country be prominently displayed on packaging, with the country of origin clearly indicated near the flag.

These boycotts against Moroccan fresh produce imports to Europe emerged and escalated in 2024 creating unprecedented trade conflicts.

Tensions between Spain and Morocco, for instance, escalated over strawberry imports in March 2024. The European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reported two instances this year where Moroccan strawberries were found to contain Hepatitis A and Norovirus genotype II.

These alerts sparked a diplomatic dispute, with Morocco denying the claims and accusing Spain of attempting to damage its agricultural reputation.

Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture and its food safety agency, ONSSA, have vehemently denied the allegations. “The Ministry reserves the right to take legal measures against the disseminators of this false information,” stated a Ministry representative. They asserted that an investigation showed no contamination in their strawberry exports.

The Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER) has joined the conflict, threatening legal action against Spain. They argue that the accusations are unfounded and aim to undermine Moroccan agriculture.

As the disputes between French farmers and Moroccan exporters continue, it remains to be seen how European authorities will address these complex trade and safety issues.

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