In 2022, Morocco doubled its sweet potato exports to a record 1,200 tons. This trend should continue this year, in a rapidly growing global market.
Exports of Moroccan sweet potatoes are soaring on the international market. In 2022, the Kingdom doubled its volumes compared to 2021 to reach a record 1,200 tonnes, compared to 90 tonnes in 2017, according to the specialized portal East Fruit. An upward trend that only confirms a strong increase in these quantities, which have increased by 67% on average per year over the past six years. “2022 became the first year in Morocco’s history in which sweet potatoes were exported monthly without interruption. In addition, the country has managed to extend the peak of its supplies, when it was mainly in June-July, ”says the media.
The Netherlands, Portugal and now the United Kingdom were Morocco’s three largest customers in 2022. The first country has moreover multiplied its imports of Moroccan sweet potatoes almost 9 times since 2021. A considerable increase is explained by the launch of projects on the production of these vegetables in the country with the support of Dutch specialists and investors.
The countries of the Middle East are also among a lot of consumers, even if the quantities exported remain relatively low. About 9 tonnes were sent there last year, mainly to Qatar and Bahrain.
Increase in consumption
According to East Fruit, two key factors help to understand the growth in consumption of sweet potatoes and other similar tubers and roots: “The bulk of imports in these categories are from countries where consumers are health conscious, open to new tastes and experiences, and willing to pay top dollar for them.” Indeed, this tuber vegetable, often considered a “superfood”, is rich in sucrose, proteins, carotenes, vitamin C, iron, and other mineral salts.
The other reason is the fact that “the importation of these products is increasing in countries with a high proportion of ethnic minorities, for which sweet potatoes, taro, yams or even chufa are part of the cuisine national in the same way as potatoes for Europeans”.
In Morocco, sweet potato is mainly grown in Larache, in the Fez-Meknes region, in Salé and in Casablanca during the summer season. Areas where producers should rejoice in this improvement which, obviously, is not yet over. This is evidenced by the increase in exports, which almost quadrupled to reach a new record of 130 tonnes in January 2023, according to the specialized portal.
And the outlook is promising, as global trade in sweet potatoes and similar products has increased by 8% per year since 2013, while global imports of conventional potatoes have fallen by 1% per year since that date. “The EU, the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries are the top three regions in the world where the demand for premium sweet potatoes will grow at a rapid rate,” predicts East Fruit. Suffice to say that the future is all rosy for Moroccan exporters of this red vegetable.
