Seed potato imports have increased in Morocco and reached their highest level in at least five years, at 60,000 tonnes, in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to EastFruit.
Given the relatively large volumes of local ware potato production, it is not surprising that the demand for high quality seed potatoes is quite high in Morocco. Thus, Moroccan importers continue to increase their imports of seed potatoes, with the season extending from October to May and reaching its peak in winter.
In Morocco, seed potatoes are the second most imported category of fruits and vegetables after dates in terms of volume and the fifth in terms of value. During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Morocco spent more than $40 million on seed potato imports, reveals the specialized portal EastFruit.
As far as ware potatoes are concerned, Morocco is a net exporter, with exports amounting to 54,000 tonnes in 2022.
However, it should be recalled that the Kingdom was faced with an unprecedented drought during the summer of 2022, significantly impacting the agricultural sector and production in particular. Climate change has likely affected Moroccan potato exports, which have fallen to almost zero in 2023.
In addition, the drought and the drop in potato production prompted local producers and farmers to increase imports of seed potatoes, which reached a record level in the fiscal year 2022-2023. or 60,000 tons, the highest level in five years, indicates the portal.
As for suppliers, seed potatoes are shipped to Morocco mainly from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark and France, with Dutch suppliers accounting for the majority of the Moroccan market. As for other suppliers, their shares have remained fairly stable, with Denmark being the exception: imports of Danish seed potatoes have tripled since 2017-2018.