Morocco, a major global supplier of fresh tomatoes, achieved record-breaking figures with a staggering 716,700 tons of tomatoes exported to foreign markets in 2022/23 (July-June), generating some $990 million in tomato export revenue, according to horticulture analytics news outlet EastFruit.
Over the past five years, the volume of tomato exports from Morocco has grown by more than 25%, making it the fastest-growing exporter among the largest tomato-producing nations.
Tomatoes account for approximately one-third of the overall structure of Moroccan fruit and vegetable exports in the 2022/23 season. The country exports tomatoes year-round, with the peak season observed from November to March.
Morocco’s tomato sales span a diverse range of countries, with exporters now reaching 44 nations. Just six years ago, this list was only half as long, with tomatoes being supplied to only 24 countries.
Moroccan tomato growers primarily target buyers in Europe, where they have made significant inroads. In Q1 of 2023, one-third of all tomatoes sold in the European Union were imported from Morocco, surpassing Spain’s tomato exports for the first time in history during the first three months of the year.
France, ranking third in the world among tomato importers (after the US and Germany), is the largest buyer of Moroccan vegetables. More than half of all Moroccan tomato exports are directed to French markets.
Significant quantities of tomatoes also make their way to the UK and the Netherlands. The growth in shipments to these two countries has played a pivotal role in the overall expansion of tomato exports from Morocco.
Morocco has increased sales volumes in most export destinations, with significant growth in some countries such as Belgium, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Austria. However, tomato exports to Russia have decreased since 2016. Meanwhile, imports into EU countries are growing dynamically, allowing Morocco to become one of the largest global tomato exporters, among the top three in 2022.