Exports surge 67% to reach 100,000 tonnes, defying forecasts and consolidating EU market position

Highlights:

• Morocco shipped a record 100,000 tonnes of avocados in the 2024/2025 season, outpacing South Africa
• Sector growth driven by private investment, favorable climate, and EU trade access
• Exports projected to reach up to 140,000 tonnes by 2030, per CIRAD estimates

Morocco has overtaken South Africa to become Africa’s second-largest avocado exporter, marking a major milestone in the Cherifian Kingdom’s rapid rise in the global fruit trade. According to a report published by Dutch banking group Rabobank in late June, Moroccan avocado exports surged by 67% to reach 100,000 tonnes during the 2024/2025 season—setting a new national record.

In contrast, South Africa shipped less than 80,000 tonnes, despite a 9% year-on-year increase. This shift in rankings comes two to three years earlier than projections made in 2023 by Fruitrop, CIRAD’s trade magazine, which had forecast Morocco’s export potential would double to 100,000 tonnes by 2027 or 2028.

The acceleration is attributed to a combination of factors: a tripling of planted area from 4,000 to 12,000 hectares between 2018 and 2023, largely driven by private investment and favorable agro-climatic conditions in the Gharb region. Additionally, Morocco enjoys a strategic export window between September and March—complementary to the March–July seasons of South Africa and Kenya—as well as logistical proximity to the European Union.

Thanks to its trade agreement with the EU, Moroccan exporters also benefit from zero customs duties and the absence of minimum entry prices that could trigger additional tariffs. These advantages have allowed Morocco to expand its footprint in the lucrative European market.

Looking ahead, CIRAD forecasts that avocado exports could rise further to between 120,000 and 140,000 tonnes by 2030, depending on weather variability. The trend underscores Morocco’s emergence as a key player in global tropical fruit exports, leveraging a mix of policy, climate, and market dynamics.

This article was initially published in French by Espoir Olodo

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho