A good blueberry season expected from Morocco

At the beginning of December, harvest of Morocco’s early blueberry varieties will start, but the season won’t fully ramp up until January. The best window of availability is from March through June. “The growing conditions have been exceptional, and the expectation is for good production levels this season,” says Juan Sainz with Frutta Group. While it is difficult to project total volumes, estimates for the season are around 80,000 tonnes.

According FreshPlaza, Morocco is becoming a major blueberry player. “A combination of high-quality product and excellent logistic conditions have resulted in growing demand from an export perspective.” Importers from different countries are increasingly interested in blueberries from Morocco. The major buyers are from European countries in general as well as from the Middle East, followed by Asia and lastly North America. “The product is becoming increasingly well known for its quality. Customers looking for special products are more and more interested in Moroccan blueberries,” said Sainz.

Also read: Moroccan Blueberries: A Global Success Story Driven by a Unique Selling Proposition

How does Morocco differentiate from other blueberry growing countries? “The focus is on the latest varieties, offering exceptional quality,” commented Sainz. “Globally, blueberry volumes are growing very fast and new players like Zimbabwe are entering the market. Time will tell who is the most competitive.”

Frutta Group offers blueberries year-round to its partners in Europe, the U.S., and Canada, working with growers from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, and Morocco. Sainz is hopeful this season will be less challenging compared to last year. “We focus on the U.S. and Canadian markets and last season, there was pressure from Europe, the Middle East and Russia, all competing for Moroccan blueberries, which made it difficult to get product for our customers.”