Moroccan Blueberries Caught Between Weather and Spain

Capricious weather has heavily penalized producers. Heavy rains that swept through the Larache region a few weeks ago are preventing production from taking off. A industry professional paints a bleak picture relayed by specialized media FreshPlaza: "We are far from the volume projections anticipated by the industry, which were around 100,000 tonnes." He even fears failing to reach the record of 60,000 tonnes recorded in the previous season.

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On the commercial front, the situation proves equally complex despite consistently strong European demand. The massive arrival of Spanish harvests on the market is brutally driving prices down. The drop is particularly steep for exporters: while they were trading at 11 euros at the start of the campaign in January, then at 9 euros two weeks ago, Moroccan blueberries are now selling for only 7.5 euros.

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This pressure is not new to the industry. A month ago, the sector was already observing similar difficulties on the Russian market, this time due to rivalry imposed by China. Aware that weather conditions and Spanish competition will not improve before the end of the fiscal year, the sector nevertheless maintains its ambitions for this strategic product. Starting next season, his company plans to relocate part of its Larache crops to Agadir to better secure its yield.