Annex 3: On-site study of the potential market for sterile Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Morocco

Citrus production has remained stable in Morocco since 2000. Areas and production have not increased at the expected rate of growth: the average area from 2002 to 2005 remained at slightly less than 80,000 mt and production at around 1.2 million (USDA/FAS, 2005). The area of apples, the second most important commercial host, has decreased slightly to 26,700 ha, but production increased to 372,500 mt (Oukabli, 2004). There was a small decrease in the areas and production of apricots while plum areas and production increased. Morocco has taken several steps towards the implementation of an SIT programme: A Technical Cooperation Project with the IAEA started in 2005 to assess the feasibility of SIT in one selected area and to build capacity for SIT application. It involves the Plant Protection Directorate (Direction de la protection des vegetaux, des controles techniques et de la repression des fraudes, DPVCTRF) from the Ministry of Agriculture. An SIT seminar was organized by Citrus growers, CLAM and the Cleanfruit project in Agadir, to clarify the current situation (Cleanfruit, 2006a). Later, CLAM also helped organise a visit to the SIT programme in Valencia for a Moroccan delegation. Morocco is now planning a pilot SIT project in Souss (South), under leadership of the DPVCTRF, covering 3000 ha, mostly of citrus. There have been some steps taken to tender for a supply of 6 million sterile Medflies a week, but no contract has been issued at the time of this revision. The recommendations below regarding wild hosts and release levels remain valid, and will hopefully be useful to the newly initiated programme