Egyptian Exporter Says Morocco Has the Edge in Mandarins
An Egyptian exporter acknowledges that Morocco produces better mandarins than his country. In an interview with the British trade press, he attributes this advantage to growing conditions along Morocco’s coast and urges the two countries to focus on their specialties rather than compete on price.
Hesham El Naggar, an executive at an Egyptian company, makes no secret of his admiration for Moroccan mandarins. “When it comes to mandarins, Morocco is better than us,” he acknowledges in a report published on November 10 by Fruitnet. He attributes the difference in quality to the kingdom’s coastal growing regions, which are particularly well suited to cultivating these citrus fruits.
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The acknowledgment comes as Egyptian exporters seek to expand sales in European markets, particularly the United Kingdom. Facing growing competition from China and difficulties accessing the Russian market, several Egyptian citrus producers are increasingly turning to Europe, risking further pressure on prices there.
For Hesham El Naggar, this commercial strategy must take into account the quality of the fruit on offer. He questions, in particular, the point of shipping citrus that is still green during the height of the Spanish season, when a higher-quality supply is already available. In his view, selling a disappointing product at a lower price risks putting consumers off for the long term.
Morocco has an advantage in the premium mandarin segment. Fruitnet cites the Nadorcott and SweetCott varieties, whose taste qualities enable Moroccan producers to compete in markets where price is no longer the only factor in purchasing decisions.
This strategy is accompanying strong commercial growth. Between October 2025 and April 2026, Morocco exported 76 000 tonnes of mandarins to the United Kingdom, worth more than 60 million pounds sterling, according to EastFruit data. These volumes, up nearly 20% year on year, enabled the kingdom to overtake Spain and capture about half of the British market.
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The Egyptian exporter nevertheless defends the strengths of his own industry. He believes oranges grown in Egypt are sweeter than those from Morocco. Rather than seeking to compete directly with Moroccan producers in mandarins, he advocates complementarity between the two countries to grow citrus consumption.
