Casablanca – Morocco’s fresh strawberry exports declined sharply during the 2025–2026 marketing season, reaching their lowest level in recent years as producers faced a combination of stronger international competition, water shortages, labor constraints, and unfavorable weather conditions. The latest figures indicate that the country’s fresh strawberry industry is undergoing significant changes, with many growers gradually shifting their focus toward crops that offer higher returns and greater resilience.

According to data published by agricultural market analysts at EastFruit, Morocco exported approximately 8,700 metric tons of fresh strawberries between October 2025 and April 2026, representing a 50% decline compared with the same period of the previous season. The result marks the fourth consecutive season of declining fresh strawberry exports and the lowest shipment volume since the 2020–2021 campaign. If export trends continue through the remainder of the season, the 2025–2026 campaign is expected to become the weakest on record for Morocco’s fresh strawberry sector.

The decline reflects the combined impact of several long-term challenges that have gradually affected one of Morocco’s most important horticultural export industries. While the country remains a major supplier of berries to international markets, fresh strawberries have become increasingly difficult to produce profitably under current conditions.

One of the most significant factors behind the decline has been the rapid expansion of Egypt’s strawberry industry. Over the past several years, Egyptian producers have increased cultivated acreage and expanded exports by offering competitively priced fruit to international buyers. The stronger Egyptian presence in global markets has intensified competition, making it more difficult for Moroccan exporters to maintain market share in Europe and other destinations.

At the same time, Morocco’s prolonged drought has created additional pressure on producers. Strawberries are among the country’s most water-intensive fruit crops, requiring regular irrigation throughout the growing season. Declining groundwater reserves in major production areas have reduced water availability, while rising soil salinity in some coastal farming regions has made cultivation more challenging. Many producers have also invested in desalination systems and other water management solutions, increasing production costs at a time when international price competition has become more intense.

Labor availability has emerged as another important challenge for the industry. Seasonal agricultural work has become increasingly difficult to staff as many workers seek higher-paying employment opportunities abroad, particularly in Spain. Others have shifted toward harvesting raspberries and blueberries within Morocco, where working conditions and earnings are often viewed as more attractive. The resulting labor shortages have affected harvesting operations during critical periods of the export season.

Weather conditions further complicated production during the 2025–2026 campaign. Periods of cold weather, high humidity, and fluctuating temperatures delayed fruit development, reducing the industry’s ability to supply European markets during the most profitable part of the season. Earlier in 2026, flooding in the Gharb and Loukkos regions caused additional damage by destroying protective tunnels and affecting a significant share of strawberry fields, further reducing exportable volumes.

The combined effect of these factors has been reflected across Morocco’s principal export destinations. Shipments to France declined by more than 80% compared with the previous season. Exports to the United Kingdom and Spain, traditionally the country’s two largest markets for fresh strawberries, fell by 44% and 54%, respectively. Although exports to Saudi Arabia increased during the season, the additional demand was not sufficient to compensate for the decline recorded across European markets.

Despite the weakness in fresh strawberry exports, Morocco continues to maintain a competitive position in other segments of the berry sector. During 2025, the country strengthened its presence in the frozen berry market, becoming one of the top five suppliers of frozen raspberries to the Netherlands. Dutch imports of frozen raspberries reached record levels, reinforcing the country’s role as one of Europe’s main distribution hubs for frozen fruit.

Morocco has also continued to perform relatively well in exports of IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) strawberries. Demand from the United States has supported this segment, with Moroccan exporters benefiting from reduced shipments from some competing suppliers. The frozen fruit market has therefore helped offset part of the pressure facing the fresh strawberry business, although it has not been enough to reverse the broader decline in fresh exports.

The current situation is also encouraging structural changes across Morocco’s red fruit industry. Many agricultural investors, cooperatives, and commercial growers are gradually redirecting investment toward crops that are considered more profitable and better suited to current production conditions. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and avocados have attracted increasing interest due to their stronger international demand, higher market prices, and, in some cases, greater economic returns.

This transition reflects changing market dynamics rather than a complete withdrawal from strawberry production. Fresh strawberries continue to play an important role in Morocco’s agricultural exports, but producers are increasingly diversifying their crop portfolios to reduce exposure to climate risks, water shortages, and price volatility.

Observers in the sector note that maintaining competitiveness in international fruit markets will depend on continued investment in irrigation efficiency, water resource management, climate adaptation, improved agricultural technologies, and supply chain development. Advances in protected cultivation, precision irrigation, and post-harvest handling could also help improve productivity and product quality in the years ahead.

The latest export figures suggest that Morocco’s fresh strawberry industry is entering a new phase of development. While climate pressures, higher production costs, labor shortages, and stronger international competition have reduced fresh strawberry exports to their lowest level in years, the broader red fruit sector continues to adapt through diversification and investment in higher-value products. The industry’s ability to respond to these changing conditions is expected to play an important role in shaping Morocco’s future position in global fruit markets.