Early oranges from the Beni Mellal region of Morocco will arrive on the market in November, slightly behind schedule due to adverse weather conditions this summer, FreshPlaza informs.
According to Abdellatif Elkarimi, director of RK Citrus, early oranges offer the most important commercial window for export alongside late varieties.
The grower reports an improvement in production this season despite difficult weather conditions. He explains: “The problem of insufficient rainfall is the main obstacle to production and has led to significant reductions in acreage over the last few years. This season we are also affected by the summer’s heat waves. Oranges have fared better than soft citrus fruits due to the timing of the heat waves, and we can expect an increase in orange volumes compared to last season in the Beni Mellal region.”
Also see: Morocco’s lemon exports surge after four-year slump
“I can say that this increase is around 20% for early Navel oranges, which is still below the volumes of a normal year before the drought. There are all sizes, between 2 and 8, with the majority of the harvest in sizes 4, 5, 6, and 7,” Elkarimi continues.
International demand for Moroccan oranges is strongly influenced by competition, particularly from Egypt. Elkarimi says, Early Moroccan oranges arrive on the market before the start of the Egyptian season, which gives us a commercial window to destinations such as the Gulf countries, North America, and Russia. But as soon as the Egyptian season begins, our orange exports are interrupted until July by late varieties, particularly Maroc Late.”
Last season, with the premature end of the Egyptian campaign, Elkarimi reports increased interest in Moroccan oranges. However, this does not necessarily translate into increased exports. The grower adds, “The early end to the Egyptian season coincided with stock shortages for the highest quality categories. It is not easy to fill unexpected gaps in the market, and we are well established in the early and late season windows.”
Faced with fierce competition driving prices down, Moroccan growers continue to focus on established calendars for oranges as well as soft citrus varieties. Elkarimi says, “Clementines and Nadorcott make up the bulk of our exports. For oranges, we focus on the domestic Moroccan market, where prices are very satisfactory.”
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.
