Back in November and December 2024, Morocco started shipping Clemenules and Nour clementines to the U.S., but the season didn't have a dream start. "It was a very complicated start as the quality of the fruit wasn't very good," says Miles Fraser-Jones with Sierra Produce. "Granulation was a big issue. In addition, the fruit was very soft and had a yellowish color." What made things even more challenging was that California's clementine season started at the end of October with good quality fruit. The state is having a normal crop this season and there was enough fruit available in the supply chain when Morocco started shipping. If that's not enough, summer citrus from Chile was still available in the U.S. market until early December. "There was an abundance of fruit in the market and pricing was low. Altogether, this made for a very challenging open market for Moroccan citrus fruit in November and December," Fraser-Jones commented.
Nadorcotts
After a complicated early season, hopes are for a better second half. Harvest of Clemenules and Nour clementines has been finished and Morocco is moving on to the Nadorcott variety. "This is the Mandarin variety everybody is waiting for, and the quality is expected to be better." No fruit has arrived yet in 2025, but Fraser-Jones expects the first vessel of the year to arrive on the U.S. East Coast this week. From then on, Nadorcotts should be available until the end of March, perhaps into early April. Morocco is expecting a normal Nadorcott crop. "From what I've heard, there are no supply issues. The fruit size is a little small, but quality should be good."
Market improvement
The arrival of Nadorcotts should also signify the improvement of the market. "If we put good fruit in the market that is of better quality, it should increase consumption," commented Fraser-Jones. In addition, supply from California may be somewhat lower temporarily. Usually, around late January there is a gap between the end of the California Clemenules season and the beginning of the mandarin season, resulting in lower supply. "While most U.S. retailers support domestic fruit, there should be a place in the market for Moroccan citrus as long as the country doesn't overship."
Fruit Logistica Berlin
In addition to citrus, Sierra Produce imports many other fruits into the U.S., including stone fruit, cherries, grapes, blueberries, apples, and pears. Next month, Fraser-Jones will be attending Fruit Logistica in Berlin. Contact him to meet up in person between February 5 and 7.
For more information:
Miles Fraser-Jones
Sierra Produce
Office: (+1) 856-228-5500
Cell: (+1) 856-693-2217
Email: milesfj@sierraproduce.com
www.sierraproduce.com