Morocco's onion imports surge to record 21,600 tons

Morocco imported a record 21,600 tons of fresh onions worth $9.4 million between July 2025 and April 2026, according to agricultural news outlet EastFruit, marking a sharp reversal for a country traditionally known as a major onion exporter.

Imports were eight times higher than the previous season and 2.5 times above the previous record set in 2015/16.

The surge accelerated in April alone, when imports exceeded 14,500 tons. The Netherlands supplied more than 60% of shipments, followed by Spain (around one-third) and France (nearly 5%), with smaller volumes arriving from Belgium and Egypt.

Over the same period, Morocco's onion exports fell to just 2,700 tons, making the kingdom a net importer.

According to EastFruit, poor harvests caused by adverse weather in key producing regions, continued exports of premium onions, limited storage capacity and high post-harvest losses depleted domestic supplies, driving prices to record highs and forcing Morocco to rely on imports to stabilize the market.