When it comes to promoting fruit and vegetables exports, all countries come up with almost exactly the same ideas, such as “great taste, high quality, etc.”. Consequently, buyers ignore these boring messages and if there is nothing unique, the price becomes the main factor, EastFruit notes.
However, if the marketing messages are confirmed by scientific evidence, they become valuable. in the case of Morocco, there are several products, which are indeed unique.
Probably the most famous of these products is the Nadorcott clementine. It was discovered in the early 1980s as a natural hybrid, which believed to be a cross between a Murcott tangor and a Mediterranean mandarin. In 1995, the variety was patented by the Moroccan company Nadorcott Protection after agronomic testing by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA Maroc) confirmed its distinct traits.
What makes Nadorcott special?
- Late Harvest: Ripens from January to April, later than most clementines (e.g., Clemenules peak in November-December), due to Morocco’s warm, stable winter climate in regions like Souss-Massa.
- Flavor Profile: Sugar content averages 12-14% (Brix scale), with a sugar-to-acid ratio of 13:1 or higher, vitamin C levels of 60-70 mg/100g per SCTCC quality tests, balancing sweetness with a slight tang—distinct from sweeter, less acidic varieties like Satsumas.
- Seedless: Naturally seedless (less than 1 seed per fruit on average), a trait confirmed by INRA Maroc studies, unlike older hybrids like Murcott, which can have 10-20 seeds.
- Peelability: Thin, glossy rind peels easily without oil residue, a physical trait tied to its mandarin parentage and Moroccan growing conditions (high sunlight, low humidity).
- Shelf Life: Stores up to 2-3 months at ambient temperature, per export data, thanks to Morocco’s dry climate reducing rot. It also is suitable for long-distance exports, which made this clementine popular on all continents!
- Post-harvest handling: Morocco has very modern and efficient system of post-harvest handling: soring, grading and packaging of clementines, allowing it to respond quickly to requirements of different buyers and assuring high quality of the final product.
The country takes great pride in its Nadorcott easy peelers and is committed to protecting them from unfair competitors and unauthorized use, ensuring consumers receive only genuine products. In February of last year, Nadorcott Protection (NCP) initiated legal action against one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, vowing to take “all available actions” to safeguard its rights over the Nadorcott mandarin variety.
Morocco is also among the global leaders in exports of fresh tomatoes, focusing on cherry and grape types. Morocco’s tomatoes thanks to their production in very sunny regions, such as Souss-Massa, have lycopene levels of 90-100 mg/kg based on the EU import testing. Production systems are very modern, and production systems are sustainable according to best global practices, resulting in unified high quality of the final product with excellent brix levels. Post-harvest system is also very impressive, providing opportunities for flexible product customization.
Medjool Dates thanks to the microclimate in oasis of Erfoud have extra-large size of 8-10 cm and sugar content of 70-75% dry weight. This data is well-referenced in studies by the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA Maroc). This makes Morocco’s premium Medjool dates very demanded globally for premium segment sales.
It is worth noting that in April this year, a trade mission of exporters of fresh berries, citrus fruits, avocados, and other vegetables and fruits from Morocco to Singapore and Malaysia will take place.
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