The Moroccan Fresh Potato Exports Fell to a Minimum

Moroccan fresh potato exports have been declining for several years, and shipments in MY 2022-2023 were at a bare minimum.

Moroccan potato exporters managed to deliver over 100,000 tons of their produce (worth USD26m) to foreign countries four years ago. However, since then, foreign sales have decreased by 44-48% virtually every year, while export revenue has declined nearly five times in a few years, and Morocco has dropped from 21st to 25th on the list of world exporters.

“The current season was even worse – for the period from July to June, only 27,900 tons of potatoes were delivered to foreign markets, respectively, sales brought the minimum revenue for five years – USD5.7m,” according to a recent EastFruit analysis.

The primary recipients of such goods from Morocco are predominantly African nations, despite the fact that European nations hold the top spots on the list of the world's potato importers.

“It should be noted that the Moroccan potato exports to the EU reached their maximum in the MY 2018-2019 when Europe faced a severe drought. Moroccan suppliers increased sales to European countries (for example, 22,000 tons of potatoes were delivered from Morocco just to Spain) amidst the emerging deficit. Then, a year later, supplies to European markets decreased significantly and are practically absent today,” the above-mentioned sources explained.

In terms of African countries, the largest consumers of Moroccan tubers are concentrated in the Sub-Saharan area of the continent, specifically in the western Sahel region. Morocco sells potatoes to Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, with Mali receiving over half of all shipments. Because the climate in this region is troublesome - storms and floods are frequently replaced by droughts - countries in this region must import fruit and vegetables from other countries.

To combat growing prices for these crops, the Moroccan government banned the export of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes to African countries in February 2023. This move undoubtedly had an impact on international trade, and the results of the 2022-2023 season are clear.