During the recent Morocco Berry Conference (Agadir, 14 November 2024) Alfonso Lopez, New Products Launching Manager at Planasa analyzed the competitive situation of the Moroccan berry industry, with a special focus on innovation and sustainability in strawberries and raspberries.
Strawberries are repositioning
The global strawberry production stabilizes at around 9.1 million tons. After significant growth up until 2019, production seems to have leveled off in recent years.
In relation to the global fresh fruit market value (USD 568.7 billion), berries account for 7%, with strawberries representing 50.6% of the berries segment. Considering the market value of a region that includes Europe and Mediterranean countries, strawberries are worth USD 4.5 billion. The Mediterranean region holds 53% of this value, with Morocco contributing 22%.
However, the area planted with strawberries in Morocco has been decreasing in recent years, with a growing focus on higher-value crops and a general trend toward more technologically advanced production systems.
The primary factor determining economic performance is timing, particularly the timing of market presence. Generally speaking, Morocco exports strawberries from October to May, with a peak between February and March. This peak in volumes usually corresponds to a peak in absolute values but also marks the start of the period when prices, falling below USD 3.50/kg, are considered low.
Between October and January, prices range from USD 5.20/kg to USD 4.00/kg, and in November and December, Egypt exports more than twice the volume of Morocco. This highlights that Morocco would benefit from shifting its volumes earlier in the season, maximizing quantities during the early part of the harvest period.
Currently, strawberry production in Morocco is segmented based on several distinctive characteristics: earliness (representing 50% of production), quality (8%), shelf-life (21%), flavor and resistance.
Raspberries are booming
Global raspberry production has seen consistent growth, almost tripling between 2007 and 2022. The global raspberry market value stands at USD 5.2 billion, accounting for 13% of the total value of berries. Morocco holds 40% of the raspberry production within the Mediterranean region.
Compared to other countries in the area (Portugal, Spain, and Italy), Morocco ranks as the largest producer and exporter, thanks in part to superior climatic conditions.
Raspberry production follows a calendar with two peaks: the first between November and December and the second between April and May. These peaks correspond to the volumes of double crop raspberry production, generally associated with lower prices. Conversely, the production of winter crop raspberries (limited to the central part of the season, from January to April) guarantees significantly higher prices, despite lower production volumes.
Choosing which type of raspberry to plant is one of the fundamental decisions for producers: the choice is between higher production at lower prices (double crop varieties) or reduced quantities with significantly higher prices (winter crop varieties).
Currently, winter crop varieties represent 37% of Morocco's production, while double crop varieties account for 63%.
Credits: all slides by Planasa, photo by Andrew Wilson from Pixabay
