The Moroccan blueberry season is off to a rather quiet start, against a backdrop of stiff competition, while other origins are supplying the global market in large volumes. It's still early to get a clear picture of how the season is shaping up, but the indicators give Moroccan exporters good hope, according to Larach-based grower and exporter Zouhir Daissoria.
Zouhir says, "We're currently in the second week of harvesting in the Larache region. The weather conditions are very good, and the warm temperatures indicate a high yield. Most growers in the region are at their first or second harvest, and we're seeing very good fruit and size. But it's still a bit early to tell if there's clear-cut feedback from all growers on quality."
Current export volumes from Morocco are around 80 to 100 tonnes a week, which is a decent quantity but still far from the peak. Zouhir says, "Packing stations exporting under contract have not yet started their programs, and peak harvests are expected from February onwards, and into April."
Demand is also still low for Moroccan blueberries, reports Zouhir. He adds, "There are a lot of blueberries on the market, from Chile, Peru, and Spain. European buyers haven't yet turned their full attention to Morocco, so prices are lower than at the start of last season. Prices are expected to improve from February onwards. Yields in Latin America are beginning to run out, and Spain has not yet reached its peak. So we'll have a good market position by February."
In the meantime, Moroccan exporters are turning to other markets, such as Asia, the Gulf States, and Russia."These markets currently have a decent demand for Moroccan blueberries, which grows with each passing season. At FirstGreenLand, we are exporting this season for the first time to Hong Kong, and prospects are good for developing this and other Asian markets. These markets can prove important for us, especially at this time of the season."
While the global blueberry market is seeing increasing competition and new origins capable of supplying large volumes, Morocco stands out for its geographical proximity to Europe, according to the exporter."There are certainly a lot of blueberries, which drives prices down. However, we can offer our customers greater satisfaction and better value for money. We make sure that our customers manage to get good margins while sourcing better quality and sizes compared to other origins, with less delivery mileage and better freshness."
"For their part, our customers have an interest in diversifying their sources of blueberries, while retaining a proportion from Morocco, that's their guarantee of consistency and quality," concludes the exporter.
For more information:
Zouhir Daissoria
FirstGreenLand
Tel.: +212661902434
Email: disouriafirstgreenland@gmail.com