Morocco’s exports of fresh raspberries to the Middle East have reached an unprecedented record during the first nine months of the 2024/2025 agricultural season, with volumes exceeding 700 metric tons, according to a report by EastFruit, a platform specializing in agricultural markets.
According to the same source, this figure reflects exceptional growth compared to previous agricultural seasons, surpassing the total volumes exported during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons. The report comes as Morocco continues to expand its presence in strategic regional markets such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar.
The report attributes this remarkable performance to several factors, most notably Morocco’s seasonal supply advantage, the high quality of its products, and its targeted market entry strategies.
Although the Middle East still represents a relatively small share of Morocco’s total raspberry exports, the region’s importance is growing steadily. The share rose from 0.23% in the 2019/2020 season to over 1.5% in the current season, signaling significant growth potential in this market.
EastFruit statistics indicate that October 2024 marked the highest monthly export volume of Moroccan raspberries to the region on record, with over 200 metric tons shipped—more than the combined total of the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons.
According to the same source, Morocco currently exports fresh raspberries to seven Middle Eastern countries, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounting for nearly 75% of total regional shipments. Exports to Kuwait have tripled over the past three seasons, shipments to Jordan have doubled, and exports to the UAE have grown by 67%.
The report also notes a notable increase in Morocco’s market share of raspberry imports in several countries over the past three marketing seasons:
- In the UAE: from 7% to 15%
- In Kuwait: from 0.2% to 5%
- In Qatar: from 6% to 10%
- In Bahrain: from 6% to 22%
- In Jordan: from 0.3% to 22%
This development comes as Morocco is ranked the world’s second-largest exporter of raspberries in 2024, amid growing efforts to diversify its markets and strengthen trade partnerships—particularly in the Middle East and the United Kingdom—where Moroccan exports continue to show strong positive growth trends.
