Morocco’s fruit and vegetable export sector achieved remarkable volume growth between 2023 and 2025, yet the financial picture reveals a more complex reality. According to data from the Office des Changes and Morocco Foodex, exports climbed from approximately 1.4 million tons in 2023 to nearly 1.6 million tons in 2025—a cumulative increase of roughly 15% despite challenging climate conditions and volatile international markets.
Three segments drove this historic peak. Fresh tomatoes maintained their structural role with volumes reaching an estimated 745,000 tons, showing continuous progression since 2023. Market garden produce including peppers, zucchini, and green beans—predominantly from greenhouse cultivation—continued gaining momentum, supported by European off-season demand. Avocados, emblematic of Morocco’s new export agriculture, recorded another year of substantial tonnage growth.
However, value analysis tells a different story. Total export value rose from approximately 35 billion dirhams in 2023 to an estimated 43 billion dirhams in 2025. While significant, this growth slowed considerably in 2025 following two years of exceptionally high European market prices driven by supply chain disruptions and food inflation.
Tomatoes exemplify this shift. Between 2023 and 2024, revenue growth reflected both increased volumes and historically elevated unit prices. In 2025, volumes continued rising but prices declined as European supply recovered and market conditions normalized. Market garden exports faced similar pressure—despite quantity increases, intensified competition limited revenue gains. Only red berries and, to a lesser extent, avocados maintained elevated price levels, though ceiling signs emerged.
The 2025 normalization followed the 2022-2023 inflationary shocks that artificially inflated export values. This trend affects all European fruit and vegetable markets as production capacity recovery in Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands exerts downward price pressure. For Moroccan exporters, normalization means margin compression, particularly as production costs for energy, inputs, and labor remain structurally higher than pre-crisis levels.
Geographical concentration amplifies vulnerability. The European Union absorbs most Moroccan exports, especially France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. This dependence provides logistical advantages but exposes Morocco to European price cycles and regulatory shifts. Progressive tightening of sanitary and environmental standards, alongside recurring debates about perceived unfair competition, constitute structural risk factors.
Regional competition intensifies further challenges. Spain remains the primary direct competitor for tomatoes and market garden produce. Egypt rapidly gains market share in citrus and certain vegetables through lower production costs. Turkey strengthens its presence in Eastern European and Middle Eastern markets. Morocco increasingly competes on price, sometimes sacrificing value creation.
Water constraints present a central challenge. Export-driving crops—greenhouse tomatoes, intensive market garden produce, and avocados—rank among the most water-intensive. Consecutive drought years exposed current model limitations. While investments in localized irrigation and unconventional resources like desalination and wastewater reuse cushioned the impact, tradeoffs become increasingly visible. The 2025 volume progression intensified pressure on water basins, particularly in Souss-Massa and certain Gharb areas, creating a strategic dilemma: continue prioritizing export volume growth or redirect agricultural policy toward less intensive, higher-value crops.
