Moroccan orange exports fell significantly during the first eight months of 2023, standing at 30,000 tonnes compared to 109,000 tonnes in 2022.
From January to August 2023, Morocco, one of the world’s largest orange producers, reduced its exports to 30,000 tonnes ($13.7 million) compared to the same period last year when it sold 109,000 tonnes on foreign markets for a value of $71 million, reports HuffPost.
“Morocco is the third African country producing oranges after Egypt and South Africa. However, unlike its neighbors, Morocco will considerably reduce its exports of these citrus fruits for several reasons at the end of the current campaign. According to our calculations, Moroccan orange exports for the 2022/23 season will fall to the lowest level in at least 8 years,” warned Yevhen Kuzin, EastFruit fruit and vegetable market analyst.
Moroccan orange exports reached a record in 2017, a year in which more than 160,000 tonnes were sold on foreign markets. Since then, exports have fallen year by year, taking Morocco from eleventh place in 2022 to thirteenth place on the list of global exporters.
This drastic drop in Moroccan orange exports is due to unfavorable weather conditions, notably the drought which hit the kingdom hard, affecting yields. Drought in Spain and Italy, hurricanes in the United States, and snow in Turkey have also affected production in these main orange-supplying countries.
