Morocco’s export of fresh berries took an upturn in 2023, surpassing 124,000 tons worth 750 Mln dollars, thanks to good weather conditions, despite a 6% slight decrease compared to the previous year, reported Eastfruit Wednesday.
Revenue from Morocco’s fresh berry exports has increased 2.4 times since 2018, added the Agro-specialized website.
In 2023, fresh blackberries export grew by 40%, reaching 1.4 thousand tons. Other main berry exports, on the other hand, have plateaued or decreased, with blueberries at 52.5 thousand tons, raspberries at 52 thousand tons, and strawberries at 17.7 thousand tons.
Fruit & Vegetable Market Analyst at EastFruit Yevhen Kuzin said that berry exports are a pillar of Moroccan agriculture, right after greenhouse tomatoes.
Kuzin stated that: “growth in revenue from berry exports is encouraging, but the reduction in tonnage signals potential concerns for the industry’s future in Morocco. The sector’s reliance on favorable weather and its heavy export focus on the EU and UK markets – regions that faced economic challenges in 2022-2023 – highlight its vulnerabilities”.
In 2023, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and France received almost 90% of Morocco’s berry exports. These countries accounted for 88% of Morocco’s foreign currency profits from berries. However, they lowered their import volumes (one-third reduction by Germany and 20% by France), reflecting the EU’s economic troubles.
Morocco opened its doors to other markets outside Europe, such as the UAE with imports rising by 29% to 2,000 tons, Canada’s increasing nearly 6.5 times to 65 tons, and Saudi Arabia’s more than doubling its import volumes to 810 tons.