Since the launch of the Hass campaign in the third week of October, Moroccan exporters have achieved a good performance in export volumes. According to Abdellah El Yamlahi, President of the Moroccan Avocado Association, "30 thousand tonnes of avocados have been exported from Morocco so far this season".
"This corresponds to a third of the season's volumes exported in just a few weeks, which bodes well for the rest of the campaign," adds El Yamlahi. "It also corresponds to 50% of all last season's exports, which shows that demand is there to match the increase in Moroccan production. Demand is satisfactory and comes from all over Europe. After a slow start to the season due to competition from Peru, we took advantage of a period when there wasn't much competition on the market."
According to El Yamlahi, most exported volumes consist of the Hass variety and sizes 12-20, indicating a preference for large sizes on the European market.
Regarding prices, El Yamlahi indicates: "The season began with prices lower than those at the start of the previous season, and continued to decrease even when there was no competition with other origins. The reason is the abundance of production in Morocco this season, and competition between Moroccan exporters themselves."
The representative of the Moroccan avocado association expects prices to rise around January. He explains, "As in every season, demand will pick up after the end-of-year holidays in Europe, in the second week of January. There will be very few avocados on the market and we expect prices to improve as Moroccan exporters start to exhaust their volumes."
El Yamlahi concludes, "At this pace, it's unlikely we'll see an extension to the season, and we expect Moroccan volumes to be exhausted by the end of March."
The current season has seen a big jump in Moroccan avocado production, from 60 thousand tonnes last season to 90 thousand tonnes this season, with the highest estimates speaking of as much as 100 thousand tonnes. Production is concentrated in the north of Morocco's Atlantic coast, from Kenitra to Larache.
For more information:
Abdellah Elyamlahi
Moroccan Avocado Association (MAVA)
Tel. : +212 678732391
Email: [email protected]