Estimation of the Production Cost of Date Fruits of Cultivar Majhoul (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> L.) and Evaluation of the Moroccan Competitiveness towards the Major Exporting Regions in the World

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to estimate the production cost of dates of cv. Majhoul ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) as part of the Moroccan strategy to develop the date palm sector, and to compare it to that reported in the main exporting regions. Data were collected through surveys of farmers and farm owners carried out in the “Meski Boudnib” extension zone during 2018 and 2019, as well as from studies performed by some governmental organizations. The surveys were conducted on 30 modern and productive date palm farms, managed in monoculture and equipped with localized irrigation systems. All fixed and variable costs were calculated. It was found, through our calculations, that the subsidies from the Moroccan government reduce the average investment cost of a modern date palm farm by 56%. It was also shown that the production cost of one ton of date fruits of cv. Majhoul in the extension zone “Meski Boudnib” (Morocco) is estimated at about 6060 MAD (US$ 634.5), out of which 28% represents the labor cost and 23% represents mineral and organic fertilization costs. The findings of the present study revealed that the production cost of one ton of cv. Majhoul dates in “Meski Boudnib” is lower than those reported in the Coachella Valley (20,189 MAD/ton; US$ 2114) and the Jordan Valley (10,536 MAD/ton; US$ 1103).