Fresh Plaza
The existence of the Moroccan citrus export, once the show piece for the country’s export, is being threatened. The citrus production was 1.5 million tonnes in 2008-2009 and 1.86 million tonnes in 2011-2012. In 2015 it should be 2.1 million tonnes, and then grow to 2.9 million tonnes in 2018. But the export is not following this trend. In the period between 2008-2012 it decreased from 540,000 tonnes to 465,000 tonnes.
This is a huge difference compared to the 70’s and 90’s, when the export was 700,000 tonnes: 60 to 70% of the production. Nowadays it’s barely 30%. In those years an important part (150,000 to 200,000 tonnes) was exported as orange juice. But this is no longer traded with other countries. Besides, nowadays more and more juice is being imported from Spain, Turkey and even Egypt. Morocco’s main competitors are taking up an increasingly important place in sales. From around 185,000 tonnes in 1990-1991 the Turkish import was almost 1.4 million last season, and that of Egypt was 923,800 tonnes in 2010-2011 compared to 202,000 ten years ago. Spain has seen its export increase by almost a million tonnes in that same period.
Although the export has decreased strongly in the last five seasons, the export objective for 2018 is 1.3 million tonnes. Most exporters expect this to be attainable. But people will have to place the emphasis on the exclusive and noble varieties, that the Moroccan citrus sector knows, and the specific characteristics of the citrus, such as the sweet flavour of the fruit and the seedless clementine.
The strategic trade should also be strengthened, starting with Russia. At the moment 60% of the Moroccan citrus export already goes to Russia. A market which is also more profitable than the European and North American market. The Canadian market has been characterised by a strong decline in food prices for the last 2 years, as the market has been governed by the supermarkets. A similar tendency seems to be winning favour in Russia. This is why an important logistics organisation is important.
Around 810 million Euro will be invested in the citrus sector, of which 540 million will come from professionals.
Publication date: 3/15/2013
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