Adverse weather, competition push Morocco's fresh strawberry exports to record low

Morocco's fresh strawberry exports fell to a record low during the 2025/26 season, dropping to just 8,700 tons between October 2025 and April 2026, half the volume recorded a year earlier, according to EastFruit. The decline marks the fourth consecutive season of falling exports.

The downturn is being driven by a combination of factors, including stronger competition from Egypt, recurring drought, labor shortages and adverse weather.

Water scarcity and rising production costs, particularly investments in desalination, have further eroded profitability, while seasonal workers have increasingly opted for higher-paying jobs in Spain or on raspberry and blueberry farms.

The 2025/26 season was also affected by cold spells, high humidity and flooding in the Gharb and Loukkos regions, causing Morocco to miss the premium European market window and damaging crops. Exports declined sharply to all major destinations, including France, the United Kingdom and Spain, with Saudi Arabia the only market to record growth, albeit from a low base.