Egypt exports potatoes to Morocco and fresh strawberries to Canada
The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation recently heralded the advent of two novel export destinations for its domestic producers. The Moroccan National Office of Food Safety has sanctioned the importation of Egyptian potatoes, while Egyptian officials have fine-tuned the export protocols for fresh strawberries destined for Canada.
Industry specialists from EastFruit posit that these nascent markets pose considerable challenges due to their unique market dynamics. Notably, the nascent potato trade with Morocco is anticipated to commence with modest volumes. Concurrently, the exportation of fresh strawberries to Canada is expected to encounter robust competition from geographically proximate suppliers. These developments merit a detailed examination.
Historically, Morocco’s importation of fresh potatoes has been moderate, with annual fluctuations ranging from 37 to 62 thousand tons over the past six years. Both Morocco and Egypt predominantly import seed potatoes to cultivate the crop for domestic consumption and export. Furthermore, Morocco plays a pivotal role in the Sahel region’s potato market, exporting food staples to nations such as Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, among others.
Regarding the import of ware potatoes, the figures have seldom surpassed a thousand tons between 2018 and 2022. In the wake of a severe drought in 2023, the Moroccan government curtailed potato exports in an effort to stabilize escalating domestic prices. Nevertheless, the total imports of ware potatoes scarcely exceeded 5 thousand tons for the year, predominantly sourced from the Netherlands.
Consequently, Egypt’s entry into the Moroccan market is confined to a select few niches, primarily the premium segment of consumable potatoes. Here, Egyptian exporters will vie with established European suppliers from the Netherlands, Spain, France, Belgium, and others. Theoretically, this niche could facilitate the export of several hundred tons of Egyptian potatoes to Morocco, contingent upon meeting the importers’ stringent quality standards. Drought conditions could potentially amplify this volume to a few thousand tons, albeit still a fractional component of Egypt’s overall export figures.