Morocco’s export of olives drastically decreased in 2023–amounting to only 82 thousand tons–while its import of that product increased significantly. It was one of the worst olive seasons in the Kingdom this decade, said “East Fruit” on Thursday.
The paltry crop of fresh olives induced by the 2022 drought contributed to Morocco’s terrible export performance in MY 2022/23. As a result, the country’s production of preserved olives and olive oil has decreased proportionately, as well.
Morocco’s import volume of preserved olives increased to 3,000 tons in MY 2022/23–over 11 times greater than the previous year–a fact even more daunting when considering the fact that the quantity in a typical year is less than 500 tons.
Local businesses anticipate olive output in Morocco to recover in MY 2023/24, following a major drop the previous year. However, meteorological conditions across the nation in 2023 were not ideal, with several areas experiencing drought, extreme heat, high winds, and hailstorms.
Morocco is one of the world’s leading olive growers, according to FAOStat. It placed fifth in 2021 and rose to fourth in 2022.
Aside from olive oil, in which Morocco is also a global leader, the country’s largest export is preserved olives. The nation does not ship frozen olives, and its fresh olive exports have been dropping year after year, from 600 tons in 2019 to just over 23 tons in 2022.
Morocco’s primary customers for preserved olives are the EU and North America, which account for around 90% of total exports. The top five importers are France, the United States, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. Other minor customers include Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Libya.