In 2022, Morocco has managed to export more fresh raspberries than the USA and ranked third in the global ranking of exporters of these berries, according to EastFruit. Furthermore, Morocco continues to increase its fresh raspberry exports thanks to its perfect climate, favorable geographical location and efficient logistics.
Over the past five seasons, Moroccan fresh raspberry exports have more than doubled, and local exporters have already managed to sell more than 35,000 tonnes of these berries in the first 8 months of the current MY 2022/23 (July-February). Despite a slight decline in exports in February 2023, the country still has every chance to set a new record in fresh raspberry exports over the whole MY 2022/23.
Fresh raspberries, along with blueberries, are an extremely important fresh berry category for Moroccan exports. In the MY 2021/22, Moroccan exporters shipped about 50,000 tonnes of fresh raspberries and 52,000 tonnes of fresh blueberries. Moreover, in the calendar year 2022, Morocco has managed to become the fourth largest exporter of fresh cultivated blueberries in the world and ranked third among global leaders of fresh raspberry exporters, leaving the USA behind in both cases.
For comparison, in 2022, Morocco exported 56,000 tonnes of fresh raspberries, while the US exporters sold just 50,000 tonnes. There were only two countries, who managed to ship more fresh raspberries than Morocco did: Spain (72,000 tonnes) and Mexico (112,000 tonnes). Nevertheless, Spanish fresh raspberry exports have been stagnating since 2019 partially due to high competition with new suppliers, inclusive of Morocco.
There are no official estimates, but EU raspberry market players continues to report of a gradual decline in areas under raspberries in Spain and simultaneously expanding areas in Morocco, Portugal and several other countries with less expensive labor force and more favorable climate.
By the way, in 2022, Moroccan exports also reached record high in the segment of frozen raspberries, and Morocco became the main reason for frozen raspberry price collapse in January 2023, having squeezed out Ukraine, Moldova and other suppliers from the EU market.
Read also: Who loves Moroccan watermelons the most?
Morocco usually exports fresh raspberries all year round, but volumes usually start going down during hot summer months, and their peak is observed in November-May. In February 2023, Moroccan fresh raspberries exports had somewhat fallen but still were relatively high compared with previous years.
As regards Moroccan fresh raspberry export geography, local exporters usually focus on European buyers, with several new markets opened in the recent years. In 2017-2020, Moroccan fresh raspberries were exported mainly to Spain and the Netherlands. Later they were joined by Germany, France, and the UK, with the latter showing booming demand for Moroccan produce due to Brexit, which had resulted in problems with shipments from the EU.
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