In 2024, Egypt continued to strengthen its foothold in Kazakhstan’s imported strawberry market, building on the momentum of the previous two marketing years. At the same time, Morocco emerged as the leading direct supplier of fresh blueberries to Uzbekistan. According to EastFruit, these two North African countries are now at the forefront of meeting the rising demand for fresh berries in Central Asia, driven by robust economic growth and rapid market development in the region.
“According to the latest IMF World Economic Outlook, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan recorded GDP growth rates of approximately 5% and 6.5%, respectively, in 2023-2024,” said Yevhen Kuzin, Horticulture Market Analyst at EastFruit.
“This makes them attractive destinations for exporters seeking alternatives to more traditional markets, where economic stagnation and sluggish consumption have become more common. While their import volumes still trail behind larger markets, the accelerating demand for fresh produce – particularly berries – offers early entrants a competitive edge with relatively low market saturation.”
In the 2024/25 marketing year (July–June), Egypt solidified its dominance in Kazakhstan’s fresh strawberry market. After the ambitious entrance in 2022/23, Egypt quickly rose to become the top supplier. Between July 2024 and April 2025, Kazakhstan imported 1,500 tonnes of fresh strawberries from Egypt – a 7% increase over the previous year and more than five times the volume recorded in 2022/23.
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Notably, Egypt has been steadily displacing Türkiye in this market, despite Türkiye’s geographical proximity. Turkish strawberries only began appearing in Kazakhstan in April 2025, likely due to weather-related production challenges.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, strawberry output in Türkiye is projected to decline by 4% in 2025. This is reflected in EastFruit’s price monitoring data, which shows that average prices for Turkish strawberries at local wholesale markets in the period between January and May 2025 were 40% higher year-over-year, even amid a depreciating Turkish lira.
In turn, Uzbekistan imported a record 310 tonnes of fresh blueberries in 2024, with nearly all supplier countries expanding their market share. While Kazakhstan remained the largest overall supplier – primarily through re-exports due to limited domestic production – Morocco became the top direct exporter to Uzbekistan. Moroccan blueberries continued to arrive in the first two months of 2025, further fueling the country’s growing appetite for imported berries.
“Actual consumption of blueberries in Uzbekistan is likely higher than official figures suggest, as some imports go unrecorded,” Yevhen Kuzin noted. “Nonetheless, the official data already points to a strong upward trend. With Uzbekistan’s economy projected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8% through 2030 – well above the global average of 3.0% – demand for imported berries and other fruits is expected to rise significantly.”
This growing momentum is also supported by international initiatives. Central Asia has been identified as a high-potential export destination for Egyptian and Moroccan fruits and vegetables under a joint project by the FAO and the EBRD, aimed at diversifying export markets for both supplying countries. A key milestone in this effort was the trade mission to Tashkent in May 2024, which played a pivotal role in strengthening the presence of Egyptian and Moroccan produce in the region and further cementing their strategic positions in these emerging markets.
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