“It is going well with the Moroccan fruit and vegetable import”, says Wilko. This 53-year old business owner has been importing fresh produce from Morocco since he was 17. According to him, for this company, which is located in the Dutch province of Brabant, December is traditionally the month for Moroccan clementines. “The Berkane region in Morocco is well known for having the best clementines. They are a nice dark red colour with good brix levels and juice content. A few weeks after the clementines come onto the market, we start with the Washington Sanguine oranges. In my opinion, this is the best variety of juicing orange. The Washington Sanguine contains a lot of juice and is very sweet-tasting. We also get Salustiana oranges, Navels and, in the spring, different kinds of melons from this North African country. Then it is about watermelons, Piel de Sapo melons and yellow melons from the Zagora region. The soil type, in combination with the good weather conditions, ensures that fruit and vegetables from Morocco are of a distinctive quality. Citrus from this country, in particular, is very good. For example, the Gharb area produces nice oranges because there is a very favourable difference in day and night temperatures there. You also, of course, have good citrus varieties in Spain, even though the growing conditions in Morocco are very good. The soil type and climate there are optimal for this type of cultivation.”
Own brand
At Wilko Fruit, they deal directly with the Moroccan growers. In the 36 years that Wilko has been active in Morocco, he has gained a lot of experience when it comes to fruit and vegetables. “We market a large proportion of the harvest under the growers names”, he says. “We have had our own brand, Gaudias, with the slogan ‘Fruits for Pleasure’, since Wilko Fruit was started. We use only the best quality Moroccan citrus varieties for this brand. A trend that we are seeing more and more is that our customers more often want our Moroccan products in 10 or 12 kg cardboard boxes. We work with the Clementines D’or brand from Berkane in Morocco, which have superior quality products. We distinguish ourselves with our Moroccan oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruits, and in the spring and summer with our watermelons, yellow melons and Piel de Sapo melons. We have noticed in recent years that the Moroccan clementines have been improving.”
Although the clementines are still improving, according to Wilko Fruit’s owner, there has been an extended period of drought in Morocco this year. Yet, according to him, the damage was not too severe. “For four months, the temperatures were between 30 and 40 degrees”, Wilko says. “There were times when there was a shortage of water. When the citrus season began, clementines’ prices were good. These prices were under pressure at the beginning of December, but are moving in the right direction again. I do expect that clementines will become somewhat more expensive in December. This trend will continue until May, I think.”
Into Europe
Once the fresh produce from this North African country arrives in Dutch ports, the fruit and vegetables are distributed throughout various European countries. According to Wilko, there is a very good logistical connection between Morocco and the Netherlands. “There are weekly connections between the two countries, thanks to the shipping company, CMA-CGM”, he says.
“Our products are destined for Dutch supermarkets, weekly markets and retailers, although they go further into Europe as well. Our fruit and vegetables also end up in Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. I have noticed that Moroccan products are definitely becoming increasingly popular. This can be seen in the fact that, in Morocco, more and more Navel, Lane Late and Maroc Late trees are being planted. These fruits are destined for the European market. Not only are more Navel trees being planted in this North African country, but we are also seeing an upsurge in the return of the Nadorcott mandarin and the Maroc Late. I have been active in Morocco for many years and I can see the demand for Moroccan fruit increasing rapidly. I have been active for so long in Morocco it has become like my second home.”
Competition
Just as it seems Morocco could become a strong competitor for Spain, there are rumours that Senegal may replace the Moroccan market. The cheaper cultivation in Senegal is often mentioned as one of the arguments for this. Wilko is, however, not afraid that Senegal will become a future competitor for Morocco. He says the opposite is, in fact, true. “Moroccan imports, especially citrus, are becoming more valued by the supermarkets,” says the owner of Wilko Fruit. “I expect that the Moroccan imports will even have consequences for the Spanish products. Supermarkets often choose Spanish products because they only have to come a short distance and it is easy to import the fruit. The time Moroccan products spend en route to the Netherlands is, however, negligible. The transit time between Morocco and the Netherlands is only five days.
Competition
Just as it seems Morocco could become a strong competitor for Spain, there are rumours that Senegal may replace the Moroccan market. The cheaper cultivation in Senegal is often mentioned as one of the arguments for this. Wilko is, however, not afraid that Senegal will become a future competitor for Morocco. He says the opposite is, in fact, true. “Moroccan imports, especially citrus, are becoming more valued by the supermarkets,” says the owner of Wilko Fruit. “I expect that the Moroccan imports will even have consequences for the Spanish products. Supermarkets often choose Spanish products because they only have to come a short distance and it is easy to import the fruit. The time Moroccan products spend en route to the Netherlands is, however, negligible. The transit time between Morocco and the Netherlands is only five days.
In addition, a lot of tasty fruit comes from Morocco. It is also the only country, besides South Africa, that grows the seedless Nadorcott clementine. You can sometimes find a pip in the Spanish variety of the Nadorcott. This is because Morocco is the Nadorcott’s original owner and cultivation of this seedless clementine is done more strictly. The Moroccan variety may only be grown in an isolated area. No other citrus may be planted within a 38 km radius of this area, ensuring that the fruit stays truly seedless. I expect Morocco to become a bigger competitor for a country like Spain. This is because Morocco has better logistical connections and ever-improving quality. I also don’t expect Senegal to push them out, even if cultivation is cheaper there in comparison to Morocco. Senegal is lagging 20 years behind and transportation to the Netherlands takes much too long when compared to Morocco. Fruit and vegetables from Senegal are en route for 14 to 18 days, while it only takes five days from Morocco. In my opinion, Morocco will not have any problems with that in the future.”(JV)
More information:
Wilko Fruit
Wilko van der Zwaard
[email protected]
www.wilkofruit.com
More information:
Wilko Fruit
Wilko van der Zwaard
[email protected]
www.wilkofruit.com
