The Moroccan avocado season ended earlier than expected this year. The reason is that, despite abundant production, volumes were fully sold out. Yassin Chaib, an avocado producer based in Larache, looks back on a very successful season.
Chaib said: "Most producers have now exhausted their volumes, as exports have accelerated in February-March. We were able to achieve a good export performance this year, breaking an all-time record with around 58,000 tonnes, despite the loss of large volumes due to the storms."
In terms of production, the season was marked by good yields, says the grower: "Average yields are around 17-18 tonnes per hectare, with some growers achieving yields of up to 27-30 tonnes per hectare, something unheard of elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin. However, the season was marked by a higher than usual presence of small sizes, due to overproduction and excessive density of fruits on the tree, as well as insufficient rainfall. We also had large quantities of gaps, reaching 15-20% of total volumes."
On the commercial front, exporters also achieved good results, according to Mr Chaib: "Prices were very satisfactory, around 10% higher than last season. We experienced brief periods of price drops, but we held our ground. Competition with Latin American origins was tough for small sizes, but for larger sizes, there was virtually no competition and Moroccan exporters got the prices they wanted. The market map has not changed, with the most important destinations being France and the Netherlands, as well as occasional demand from Spain".
Like past campaigns, the last one was marked by a practice decried by exporters, namely speculation, a wait-and-see attitude, and postponement of harvests. According to Chaib, "Producers sometimes forget that there is competition on the market and that customers don't like speculation and daily price fluctuations. Unfortunately, this is a practice that we will continue to see until the industry is more mature and integrated in Morocco".
The local Moroccan market has also been very dynamic, says Chaib, absorbing large volumes: "We can always count on local demand, as avocados are very popular in Morocco. This season, we have seen the lowest prices ever recorded on the local market, just after the Bernard storm, as well as the highest prices ever recorded, just before the end of the campaign".
Given the recent achievements of the avocado industry, Chaib expects a sharp increase in acreage next season: "Yields and fruit size in Morocco are unrivaled, and the industry is booming. Acreage will increase dramatically next season, and could even reach 17,000 to 18,000 hectares in the Loukkos region, compared to 7-8 thousand this season. Many growers are converting their areas to avocado and new investors, including foreign ones, are jumping on the bandwagon."
For more information:
Yassin Chaib
Mavoca
Tel: +212 661-997205
Email: [email protected]