ToBRFV hits hard the Moroccan tomato producers

The ToBRFV virus is wreaking havoc on Moroccan tomato producers. The Safagri cooperative, a tomato specialist since 1940, finds itself at the heart of an unprecedented crisis this year, impacted by the spread of ToBRFV (Tomato brown rugose fruit virus). This well-known threat has intensified this season, causing significant disruptions in the production of round tomatoes. Safagri's commercial director, Kamal Abannar, describes the situation as "exceptional", highlighting the devastating consequences of the virus on production. Speaking to Freshplaza, he explains having gone “from 28 to less than 12 trucks per week”, thus illustrating the drastic fall in exported volumes. The cooperative, which operates more than 200 hectares in the Souss Massa region in southern Morocco, mainly supplies the Spanish, French, Portuguese and English markets. But the producer is not alone in worrying about the situation. Tomato production in Morocco as a whole is going through a worrying situation and ...