Spanish Imports of Moroccan Produce Surge 30% in Five Years, Led by Watermelon and Tomatoes

For the first ten months of 2021, Spain imported the equivalent of 437,670 tons of fruits and vegetables from Morocco for a value of 666.79 million euros (€1.52/kg), reports Les Inspirations Éco, based on Hortoinfo statistics. Over the past five years, Spain has imported 90,690 tons of Moroccan watermelon, an increase of 47.2% to nearly €52.39 million (€0.58/kg).

In addition to watermelon, Moroccan tomato is the second most imported product by Spain. Nearly 58,960 tons worth €62.98 million (€1.07/kg) flood the Spanish market, the same source also notes, also noting a significant increase in imports of Moroccan avocado and kiwi.

To read: Morocco Leads Non-EU Fresh Produce Imports to Spain, Topping €423 Million

In its traditional report on the short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets, the European Commission (EC) noted "a 2% drop in fresh tomato production in 2021, representing a 5% drop over the past five years, due to a 10% drop in production in Spain, the main tomato producer in the EU." Thus, Morocco is recovering market share from Spain and the Netherlands in the European fresh tomato market every year.

In addition, Moroccan bell pepper, orange and mandarin are also very popular in some EU countries, with export volumes of 57,760 tons worth €51.08 million (€0.88/kg), 19,890 tons worth €11.43 million (€0.57/kg) and 10,980 tons worth €10.51 million (€0.96/kg) respectively.