USDA: Morocco, 15th-largest fruit exporter in the world
Morocco’s fruit exports have more than doubled from $729 million recorded in 2016 to more than $1.5 billion in 2021, accounting for more than a third of the total agricultural exports in 2021.
According to latest International Agricultural Report released by the US Department of Agriculture, the North African Kingdom has become the 15th-largest fruit exporter in the world by value thanks to substantial gains made in berries (blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), which now account for 60 pc of growth in fruit exports since 2016.
“The increase in fruit exports has been facilitated by recent investments in transportation infrastructure, which now enables perishable items to transit from the southern Sahara region to Spain within 48 hours of packing. Morocco has the largest container port in the Mediterranean, and investments have also been made in the construction of a new deep-water port in Dakhla in the Sahara region, projected to be operational by 2027,” said the report.
The European Union remained the top market in 2021 for Morocco’s fruit exports, accounting for 70 percent of exports by value, with the nearby countries of Spain and France being the primary destinations.
UK replaced Russia as Morocco’s second-largest market at 10 percent, while Canada and the United States each accounted for less than 5 percent. Morocco is the only country in Africa with which the United States has a free trade agreement.
World production of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries has experienced enormous growth in the past decade, driven by global consumer demand and enabled by quality-improving technology in genetics, harvesting and packaging.
Morocco’s berries exports have seen continuous growth between 2016-21, nearly quadrupling to more than 40,000 tons, and increasing in value from $71 million to $300 million.
Rising volumes have also resulted in a larger piece of the world’s blueberry pie. Morocco’s share of world trade has grown, rising from approximately 3 to 6.5 pc to become one of the top 10 exporters in the world.
