Moroccan avocado exports have reached nearly 45,000 tons since the start of the 2025-2026 season, but overall performance is expected to fall well below last year’s levels due to weather damage and mounting competition, a Hespress AR industry source said.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said export operations to European markets are expected to continue through March and early April, with total shipments potentially reaching 60,000 tons by the end of the season.
That would represent a sharp decline compared with the previous season, when production reached about 120,000 tons, according to the same source.
He attributed the weaker performance to losses sustained during the summer, when weather fluctuations damaged significant volumes of fruit across farms.
Export momentum has also faced pressure since October, he said, citing intensified competition in European markets, including large volumes of Israeli-origin avocados, as well as weather-related disruptions that temporarily closed Port of Tanger Med, delaying Moroccan shipments.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 additional tons are expected to be exported in the coming weeks, the source said. If that target is met, total exports would approach 60,000 tons, a drop of between 40% and 50% compared with the previous season.
Current exports consist mainly of the rough-skinned Hass variety, after substantial quantities of smooth-skinned varieties such as Fuerte, Zutano and Bacon were shipped earlier in the season, the source added.
The domestic market accounts for roughly 10,000 tons of production, a volume that typically meets local demand, he said.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, avocado cultivation was first introduced in the Loukkos basin during the 1988-1989 season on an area of three hectares.
By 2019, the total cultivated area in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region alone had expanded to 641 hectares, reflecting steady growth in the sector over three decades.
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