Despite the arrival of Egyptian Navel oranges and the peak season in terms of volume for Egyptian mandarins, Moroccan citrus fruit exporters are reporting strong demand at the start of the year. This is according to Mehdi Benchekroun, CEO of DMB & Co, who nevertheless reports a slowdown in the harvest due to weather conditions.
© Mehdi Benchekroun, DMB & Co
Benchekroun says, "We are seeing an exceptional start to the year for various citrus varieties, particularly Nadorcott. Demand is coming especially from markets that have historically been strong for Moroccan citrus. We see a solid demand from Russia for Moroccan Nadorcott, in addition to North America and West Africa. We are also seeing nascent interest from European importers."
The exporter attributes this strong demand to a "marked improvement in the quality of citrus fruits." He continues, "For Nadorcott, for example, currently the most sought-after product, we are seeing good sizes and high Brix levels, and overall excellent quality."
© Mehdi Benchekroun, DMB & Co
However, export programs are being slowed down by the strong winds and heavy rains currently affecting the country with the arrival of Storm Francis, according to Benchekroun. He adds, "Harvesting is currently on hold in several regions. The rule followed by growers is to wait two days after the rains have stopped before resuming harvesting in order to preserve the quality of the fruit."
"The schedules are busy, and demand is high, which allows us at DMB & Co to work calmly and avoid risks by requiring advance deposits, thereby only engaging with serious buyers," Benchekroun concludes.
Moroccan mandarin exports saw a remarkable increase last season. In the Nadorcott variety alone, 325,000 tonnes were exported from Morocco in the 2024/25 season, marking a 43.81% increase on the previous season, according to the Moroccan Association of Nadorcott Producers.
For more information:
Mehdi Benchekroun
DMB & CO
Tel: +212661214337
Email: [email protected]
