The Moroccan blueberry harvest appears to be unharmed with a host of unfavorable elements, according to Mehdi Benchekroun. Benchekroun is one of the Moroccan exporter of fresh general fruits and vegetables.

Benchekroun informed FreshPlaza: “The first harvests were harvested at the end of December, in the Loukkos/Gharb Axis (northwest) and is the primary production zone in Morocco along with later within the Souss Massa region. The season is slow but steadily, and the volume increasing, and an optimum scheduled for the last week of January. This year’s crop is excellent quantity and quality which is a sign of a great season.” The area of land dedicated to the berries of Morocco is up by nearly 30% this year according to insiders in the industry. This is a consequence from a large increase in the number of growers who are shifting from strawberries to blackberries, blueberries and.

“Blueberry farmers were extremely lucky with all the struggles that we witnessed across the nation,” adds Benchekroun. “The summer heat wave and the typhoon that hit the Atlantic coast in October resulted in substantial losses to many soft fruits. Blueberries weren’t yet ripe to be harvested. In the colder months, soils were dehydrated however, this problem was resolved through additional irrigation. The process required a lot of energy and agricultural methods to adjust to the fluctuating climate yet yields did not suffer.”

Prices-wise there isn’t a lot certain, according to Benchekroun “There still remains a lot of uncertainty and it is too early to make an estimate of the average. However, prices at the farm gate are never lower than those that were in the preceding season regardless of the fluctuations that occur daily.”

Morocco is benefiting right now from the absence of competition on market international market, according to Benchekroun. “The Peruvian calendars are ending as well, and Spain is not expected to enter the market until the month of March. It will be between 1 and 2 months of smooth competition and a reasonable price in the market for Moroccan exporters.”

In terms of market demand, there’s any major shifts, according to Benchekroun. “The majority of the volumes are consumed by international markets within Spain, France and the Netherlands, France, and Spain in order to export them across Europe as well as Russia.”

What is notable this time according to the exporter, is that payment options are becoming more stringent. According to him, “With inflation, everyone requires liquidity. The money in circulation does not suffice anymore. Everyone from producers of agricultural inputs, to farmers and exporters, are demanding the payment of in advance.”

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Mehdi Benchekroun

DMB and CO

Tel. : +212661214337

Email: mehdi.benchekroun@dmb-co.com