Strawberry planting in Morocco started late this season, but the weather conditions are causing an earlier-than-expected harvest. Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Soft Fruit Producers, says: "We had warm temperatures recently, and all the plants, late or early, are coming out at the same time."
Bennani continues, "It's still too early to talk about yield this season, but we're seeing good bunches. The season started ten days ago for fresh strawberries, and we're seeing production at a steady pace and good quality."
"There's a good chance that we'll be able to maintain the same level of export volumes despite the drop in surface area, thanks to better quality. Strawberry acreage at the national level is down by around 10% on last season, but this is offset by a 10-15% increase in prices, plus a higher proportion of exportable strawberries thanks to improved quality."
The Moroccan industry may also benefit from the difficulties in Egypt, its main competitor, but Bennani remains cautious. "We'll wait and see how the announcement of the Egyptian price increase turns out," he says. "Even if there is an increase, it's still in line with their reference price, which is very low. In any case, the market knows that Moroccan strawberries are expensive and makes the choice to buy them."
"Sooner or later, Egyptian producers will be forced to review their prices because of rising production costs. In the meantime, the drop in volumes in Morocco gets us good prices," Bennani continues.
Demand for fresh Moroccan strawberries is currently stable but will fade by the end of the year, according to Bennani. "Demand is now stimulated to supply the European market for the end-of-year festivities. But in a few days, it will be desert crossing with nil demand, which will only pick up in the first week of January. Peak Moroccan strawberry volumes are expected in March."
For more information:
Amine Bennani
Moroccan Association of Soft Fruit Producers
Tel: +212661243424
Email: [email protected]