From January to November 2023, Morocco delivered a total of 1,400 tons of fresh blueberries to Southeast Asia (excluding Vietnam), according to experts from 'EastFruit.' This represents an almost 50% increase compared to the entire year of 2022. As the high season for Moroccan blueberry exports to this region usually begins in December, the final result for 2023 is expected to be even more impressive.
The main destinations for Moroccan blueberries in the region were Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, accounting for approximately 96% of Morocco's total shipments in the first eleven months of 2023.
At the same time, Moroccan exports also increased to other markets. Shipments to Thailand nearly tripled, reaching 30 tons, and to Macau, they increased from 26 to 29 tons. Additionally, Morocco introduced blueberries to the Indonesian market for the first time. It is noteworthy that Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia are the main importers of blueberries in Southeast Asia. In the 2021/22 season, the import volume of all countries in the region reached 30,000 tons but decreased in 2023 due to a decline in supplies from Peru and Chile.
However, according to the 'EastFruit' report, other exporters have managed to increase their market share in the region. Besides Morocco, exports from Australia to Southeast Asia more than doubled in 2023, surpassing the 1,000-ton mark. Zimbabwe, the global leader in the growth rate of blueberry exports, also increased its shipments, reaching at least 74% in 2023 to 1,500 tons, surpassing even Morocco. China also increased its exports to Southeast Asia during the same period by almost 300%, though on a relatively low quantity basis.
Growth in the Middle East
Morocco has significantly accelerated its exports of fresh berries to the Middle East, one of its key markets. As reported by 'EastFruit,' Moroccan exporters have increased their shipments of fresh berries to the countries of the Persian Gulf by eight times since the 2018/19 fiscal year and have already surpassed the previous year's numbers in the early months of the current season. Morocco has increased its exports of fresh berries to the Middle East by an average of 64% per year over the past campaigns.
In the first four months of the 2023/24 fiscal year, Morocco set a new record by delivering 127 tons of berries to the Persian Gulf. However, the main delivery period is still to come, as shipments typically rise from November and peak between January and March.
Of the total 8,000 tons of Moroccan berry exports in this direction in the 2022/23 season, over 40% consists of fresh blueberries. During the same period, strawberry exports almost quintupled, while fresh raspberry shipments increased by over four times.
Source: Fruchthandel
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