Agriculture: A season marked by strong export performance and unpredictable weather
The 2024/2025 agricultural season in Morocco is marked by a striking contrast: on the one hand, record export performance across several strategic sectors; on the other, significant losses due to repeated heat waves that are putting pressure on producers and exporters.
This duality illustrates both the Kingdom’s growing competitiveness on world markets and its vulnerability to climate hazards. Onion exports symbolize this recovery. After the 2023 freeze on sales to West Africa, Morocco shipped 64,900 tons of bulbs between June 2024 and May 2025, worth US$238 million. This volume represents a 4.8-fold increase over the previous season and surpasses the previous record set in 2022/23. The trend is similar in other vegetable segments. Cucumbers reached 27,700 tons, up from the previous year. Asparagus recorded a 47% increase to 968 tons, setting a new national record. Carrots recorded their fifth consecutive season of growth, confirming Morocco’s strong position in specialized horticultural markets. Tomatoes confirmed their role as the driving force with approximately 621,000 tons exported as of April 30, 2025, up 9% compared to the previous season. The European Union accounts for 580,000 tons, making Morocco the second largest supplier to the EU market. In terms of value, sales are close to $1 billion, representing more than a quarter of foreign exchange earnings from fruit and vegetables. Citrus fruits also contribute to this growth. Mandarin exports grew by 13%, reaching 436,000 tons. In total, citrus shipments amounted to around 597,000 tons during the season, up 31% year-on-year, consolidating Morocco’s position among the top three African exporters behind South Africa and Egypt. Finally, red fruits are continuing their breakthrough. Already leaders in raspberries in the United Kingdom, Moroccan producers became the leading suppliers of blueberries to this market in 2025, with 19,000 tons exported for US$144 million. Their market share reached 75% in April. Even potatoes, which had been in decline since 2019, are making a comeback: 42,900 tons were shipped, 5.7 times more than last year. Overall, this reflects a rapid restructuring of export sectors, stimulated by the gradual lifting of restrictions and the active search for new markets. While West Africa remains a key partner (Mauritania and Mali accounting for nearly half of potato exports), the map of outlets is expanding. The United Arab Emirates imports 5,500 tons of onions and is now one of the three main markets for asparagus. Spain, France, and Portugal maintain their positions, while new trade flows are opening up to Canada, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. This diversification strengthens Morocco’s position as a regional agricultural hub.
A.Bo
