The next Moroccan avocado season is shaping up well, with projected increase in volumes and better sizes, says Abdellah Elyamlahi, president of the Moroccan Avocado Association (MAVA).
Elyamlahi says, "We're progressing nicely, and prospects are good for the upcoming season. The campaign will start in week 38/39 for Green Skin varieties, and week 43 for Hass, which is normal timing. Flowering has gone smoothly, and the fruits are now gaining weight. We're expecting an excellent harvest, and a better distribution of sizes".
Weather conditions have been clement so far, says Elyamlahi: "Temperatures and winds haven't had much impact. At this production stage, chergui (hot wind from southern Morocco) usually causes losses, but this year the impact has been minimal. We're hoping for the best up until harvest." To recall, last season, storm Bernard caused the loss of 10% of avocado volumes in October, just before the harvest.
The previous season was also marked by an abundance of small sizes, resulting in difficulties for Moroccan exporters. "This was due to an excessive density of fruit per tree," explains Elyamlahi. "We were able to avoid this problem this year, and we expect a concentration of 16, 18, and 20 sizes in the upcoming season."
As for volumes, MAVA expects Moroccan production to maintain its pace and set a harvest record for the second consecutive year. Elyamlahi says, "We ended last season on 60 thousand tonnes, a record. Next season we're expecting 80-90 thousand tonnes."
"The surface area has not increased much compared to the previous season and is around 10 thousand hectares. The forecast increase in volumes is due to the maturity of young trees as well as improved sizes and better climatic conditions," concludes the growers' representative.
For more information:
Abdellah Elyamlahi
Moroccan Avocado Association (MAVA)
Tel: +212 678732391
Email: [email protected]