The effects of the frost are being seriously felt in certain regions of the Kingdom, such as the Gharb. The Association of Banana Producers of Morocco, which met recently in Kénitra, has thus asked the State to take consistent support and accompaniment measures for the benefit of the affected producers. According to the association, the cold has severely affected banana cultivation in this area, causing damage that it estimated at more than 85% for adult plantations in production and direct financial losses of around 210,000 DH per hectare. The frost, the association specifies, has also affected the production potential of young plantations by a proportion of more than 60%, which compromises the yield of the next campaign.

The damage from low temperatures is in addition to the losses caused by the violent winds that the Gharb region has experienced, which could push several producers to abandon the sector in the absence of support measures, added the banana growers' group. According to the figures provided by the association, some 2,200 ha are planted with bananas in the Gharb region and 750 ha in Chtouka, in the Doukkala-Abda region. The president of this association, Mohamed Yahi, insisted on a better reorganisation of the association on modern bases and on the need to strengthen and renew its structures, in order to be able to effectively defend the interests of its members, particularly in terms of marketing their production. Banana producers feel aggrieved because of the prices charged by intermediaries who buy the kg of bananas for between 4 and 4.5 DH and sell them on the market for double and sometimes even triple the price.

The meeting, which was also attended by the presidents of the association's branches in the Gharb and Doukkala regions, also raised the possibility of producers of other fruits, such as avocado, which also suffered damage due to the frost, joining their association.

The banana plant is a plant of a humid tropical climate, appreciating high humidity and good sunshine, but it fears winds and sudden variations in temperature.

In case of very low humidity, this can be remedied by irrigating or by using greenhouse misting. Sunshine durations of 1,900 to 2,300 hours per cycle are required by the plant. The root system is quite superficial. The plant also requires deep, fertile and light soil.

Clay soils are not very suitable for this crop, especially when they are poorly drained. The banana plant can tolerate irrigation water of a quality ranging up to 350 mg of chlorides per litre and up to 1.5 g of salts per litre. High levels of salinity have the effect of delaying flowering and reducing yield.

MAP.