Morocco: Potato Prices Reach 7-8 Dirhams per Kilo in Casablanca
Key takeaways
- 7 to 8 dirhams per kg: current potato price in Casablanca
- 3 dirhams per kg was the ceiling a year ago, traders say
- 12,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes imported in 2025/26
- 2.4 times the previous import record from 2008/09 season
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Use the current high price window to sell stored or late potatoes, but plan drainage and field choice to limit future flood losses in the north.
- For traders
- Monitor weekly wholesale prices in Casablanca; import demand from the Netherlands, France and Belgium may stay firm until the new crop arrives.
- For suppliers
- European seed and ware exporters should watch Moroccan import licences and demand, as the market has already absorbed a record volume.
60-second summary
Moroccan consumers now pay more than twice last year for a staple food. Casablanca markets quote potatoes at 7 to 8 dirhams per kilogram, while a wholesale trader recalls a ceiling of about 3 dirhams a year earlier. The jump follows a volatile season: January brought a glut and farm prices near 2 dirhams, then floods in January and February destroyed crops in northern areas such as the Loukkos basin. Imports rose to more than 12,000 tonnes in the 2025/26 campaign, a record, with most volume from the Netherlands, France and Belgium. Growers, who estimate costs at about 100,000 dirhams per hectare, may finally see better returns, but households on low incomes are cutting purchases. Importers and European exporters gain a larger window. The current price report is based on market observations and trader comments rather than official statistics, and the cause of the rise is spread across weather, transport and margins.
Potato prices in Casablanca have risen sharply. Potatoes now sell for 7 to 8 dirhams per kilogram in city markets.
The figures come from a report by the state news agency MAP, published by LeSiteinfo on 25 September. A second Moroccan outlet, Hibazoom, reported the same price range on the same day.
A trader at the Casablanca wholesale market said prices did not exceed 3 dirhams per kilogram last year. He called the difference striking.
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Traders point to several causes. They include production factors, supply and demand, transport, distribution costs and intermediary margins.
Floods changed the season
The season began with low prices. In January 2026, Le Matin reported unwashed potatoes at 1.80 to 3.80 dirhams per kilogram. Farm prices were around 2 dirhams per kilogram at that time.
Then floods hit northern growing areas in January and February. The Loukkos basin was badly affected. Some farmers there lost their entire harvest.
Morocco responded with imports. In the 2025/2026 campaign, the country imported more than 12,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes, according to EastFruit data cited by Le Brief.
That volume was 2.4 times the previous record from 2008/2009. April and May accounted for nearly 80% of the imports.
The Netherlands supplied more than half of the volume. France supplied about one third. Belgium supplied the rest.
Production and costs
Morocco normally produces more than two million tonnes of potatoes each year. It covers domestic demand and exports some potatoes to sub-Saharan Africa.
Growers told Le Matin in January that production costs reach about 100,000 dirhams per hectare. At farm prices of 2 dirhams, they warned of losses.
Why it matters
Potatoes are a daily staple for Moroccan families. The price swing from a January glut to autumn highs shows how exposed the market is to weather in the north. It also shows how quickly European exporters can fill gaps when Moroccan supply falls. Low-income households feel the rise first, and pressure is growing for closer monitoring of margins along the chain.
Photo: The vegetable souk in Inezgane, Morocco (illustrative). Abdeaitali / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Sources
- LeSiteinfo (MAP) — https://www.lesiteinfo.com/maroc/683004-hausse-du-prix-des-pommes-de-terre-a-casablanca.html
- Hibazoom — https://www.hibazoom.com/article-214852/
- Le Brief (EastFruit), 31.08.2026 — https://www.lebrief.ma/les-importations-de-pommes-de-terre-atteignent-un-niveau-record-100164183/
- Le Matin, 13.01.2026 — https://lematin.ma/economie/recul-des-prix-de-la-pomme-de-terre-de-la-carotte-et-des-agrumes/324226
Linked in this material
- Country
- Morocco
