Spain Buys 3 Million More Kilos of Moroccan Watermelons but Pays €5.7 Million Less

52.68 million kilos for 44.23 million euros. That is the total for Moroccan watermelons bought by Spain between September 2025 and August 2026, according to Hortoinfo. The October 21 report is based on Spanish customs data from Estacom.

On Bladi.net : Moroccan watermelon accused of driving prices down to 24 cents in Spain

A year earlier, Spain had bought 49.57 million kilos of Moroccan watermelons for 49.93 million euros, the same specialist outlet reported. Over 12 months, volumes rose by 6.3%, while the value of purchases fell by 11.4%—a decrease of 5.70 million euros.

The average price explains the paradox: it fell from 1.01 euros to 0.84 euros per kilo, a drop of nearly 17%. That 17-cent difference wiped out the gains from the additional kilos.

Top supplier, but with a declining market share

Spain imported 109.15 million kilos of watermelons during the season. Nearly half, or 48.26%, came from Morocco. The Kingdom remains Spain’s leading foreign supplier, ahead of Senegal, with 16.24 million kilos, and Mauritania, with 10.23 million.

However, Morocco’s share stood at 52.73% in the previous season. Spanish imports grew faster than Moroccan shipments, allowing other suppliers to gain ground.

These figures reflect purchases declared by Spanish importers, in a market that also has significant domestic production.

On Bladi.net : Morocco supplies 42% of the EU’s imported watermelons as Spanish growers warn of price pressure

Price pressure was already evident in August: Spanish producers were reporting prices at around 24 cents per kilo at the production stage, a different point in the commercial chain from imports.

Morocco had supplied Spain with as much as 122.2 million kilos in 2021-2022, before volumes hit a low of 28.7 million in 2023-2024. At 52.68 million kilos in the latest season, its volumes have rebounded for two consecutive seasons, but remain nearly 70 million kilos below their record.