Strong winds and heavy rain have been recorded in Morocco in recent days, particularly in the northern region of the country from Tangier to Rabat. An official of the General Directorate of Meteorology, quoted by the Moroccan media Yabiladi, stated that this climate event is low-pressure system close to the Portuguese coast, therefore independent of storm Jana hitting Western Europe.
The affected region in Morocco concentrates most of the country's soft fruit and avocado production. Fortunately, the storm is not so violent as to disrupt the avocado season, according to Yassin Chaib, CEO of Mavoca: "We were fearing a repeat of the Bernard storm, which caused the loss of 10% of avocado production in 2023. However, the intensity of the current storm turned out to be much lower than the weather forecasts had predicted. Wind speeds did not exceed 40 km per hour. The stream of rainfall is heavy, but that's good news for a country in the grip of drought."
Chaib describes the damage recorded in the avocado sector, "there has been some fruit fall affecting growers closest to the Atlantic coast in the Larache region. However, according to reports from our colleagues there, the fall did not exceed 10% of the fruit still on the trees. It should also be noted that the areas affected are tiny in comparison with the national production as a whole."
According to estimates provided by the grower, 15-20% of Moroccan avocados are not yet harvested. To recall, the Moroccan avocado season has seen a delay in harvesting, while growers were expecting an improvement in prices. Chaib comments, "15 to 20 thousand tons of avocado fruits, representing 15-20% of this season's production, are still on the trees. Prices have remained lower than last season throughout the campaign."
"The harvest is going to accelerate in the coming days. We're seeing a delayed arrival of avocados from Peru, which is boosting demand and raising prices for Moroccan avocados. Prices are currently 20-30% higher than at the start of the season. The remaining fruits of the season are mainly large sizes, 12, 14, and 16, and we expect the harvest to finish in 15 to 20 days or a month at the most," Chaib continues.
Demand is also strong in the local Moroccan market, as the end of the season coincides with the month of Ramadan. Chaib concludes: "This season, we have far fewer gaps than usual, thanks to a general improvement in quality. Gaps do not exceed 10-14% of production, and remain of very good quality, which gives good prices on the local market."
For more information:
Yassin Chaib
Mavoca
Tel: +212 661-997205
Email: yassin.chaib.yc@gmail.com