MOROCCO – Morocco has become the leading supplier of blueberries to Saudi Arabia, outperforming several other markets including Chile, Peru, and South Africa.
According to a recent report by EastFruit, Morocco had exported 480 tons of fresh blueberries to Saudi Arabia in the 2022/2023 market year.
The country has doubled the number of its blueberry exports to the Gulf country, compared to less than 200 tons exported last year.
“It is noteworthy that Moroccan farmers started to supply blueberries to this destination only three seasons ago and have since managed to double or triple their sales volumes every year,” revealed the report.
The blueberry exports to the Gulf country have generated USD 3 million of export revenue for Morocco, it added.
According to statistics, Morocco is among the seven largest global exporters of fresh berries and is fourth in exports of cultivated berries.
Currently, Morocco is a major exporter of blueberries, with the country’s African Blue company being a leading supplier of premium blueberries to European markets.
In 2022, Morocco became fourth among the largest exporters of fresh blueberries in the world, leaving behind even the United States, where, in fact, blueberries were cultivated.
In total, exporters from Morocco exported 53,000 tons of fresh blueberries that year, and only three countries managed to exceed this volume.
Morocco set to subsidize vegetable production
On a parallel development, the Moroccan government has decided to subsidize tomato, potato, and onion production to combat galloping inflation.
According to the Tridge report production of tomatoes will cost between 40,000 to 70,000 MAD (USD 3,945 to 6905) per hectare, potatoes at 8,000 to 15,000 MAD (789 to 1479 USD) per hectare, and onions at 4,000 to 5,000 MAD (394 to 493 USD) per hectare.
These subsidies have been decided to curb high seed prices. The Moroccan government will also supply 600,000 tons of phosphate fertilizers and subsidize the import of nitrogen fertilizers.
The Moroccan Fruits and Vegetables Market is expected to grow from USD 4.19 billion in 2023 to USD 5.15 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.21% during the forecast period (2023-2028).
According to a report by GlobalData, fresh fruit exports have dramatically increased to 95% of all exported fresh goods.
The country currently exports over 50 fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, pumpkins, and berries.
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