Although Morocco is one of the largest grape producers in Africa, its imports of raisins have increased more than 20 times over the past 5 years to meet domestic market demand, according to the specialized portal EastFruit.
Despite its great role as an exporter of fresh grapes, Morocco must source raisins from abroad to meet domestic needs, since this product represents an important ingredient in Moroccan cuisine, often used in large quantities. in savory and sweet dishes.
According to EastFruit, it is no surprise that the demand for raisins continues to grow in the Moroccan market. Raisins are now the eighth most imported category among fruits and vegetables in Morocco, with import volumes increasing from 560 tonnes in 2017 to 13,000 tonnes in 2022.
The portal reports that the vineyard areas have decreased in Morocco in recent years, hence the increase in its imports. They have fallen by more than 12% over the past decade, adds the same source.
Apart from the declining acreage, it is the development of tourism and the growth of the domestic market that have been the main reasons for the increase in imports of raisins. ” Various support programs for international and national tourism, implemented by the Moroccan government, attract more foreign travelers and develop internal tourism. Given the diversity of the local cuisine, food tourism is an important part of the sector“, explains EastFruit.
Regarding the seasonality of raisin imports in Morocco, they generally peak in June-July, the period of summer holidays and a drop in the local supply of raisins. Uzbekistan and Iran have also been the main exporters of raisins to Morocco in recent years and together accounted for more than two-thirds of the Moroccan market for imported raisins in 2022.
As for the rest, it is mainly covered by India and Turkey, which managed to increase their exports to Morocco in 2022, i.e. by 1,300 tons and 1,600 tons, respectively. The other supplier countries, such as South Africa or Chile, represent insignificant shares of the Moroccan raisin market.