It's almost time for the Moroccan blueberry season to begin, according to SunCrops Sales and Supply Director, Germán Pérez: «Our blueberry season in Morocco has not yet started; starts at the end of December. However, despite last year's challenges, we are preparing for a promising season. “Lessons learned from previous seasons have better equipped us for this year, aiming for more consistent production despite potential challenges.”

These potential challenges for the season have to do mainly with water, but also with logistics and packaging, explains Pérez. «The great challenge that any producer faces will be water management, since blueberries require constant and adequate irrigation throughout their development season. Effectively managing water resources, especially in arid or semi-arid areas like Morocco, can be challenging. However, we cannot forget to coordinate the logistics to transport blueberries from Agadir to Casablanca, since this process can be complex. We have to guarantee a reliable and punctual supply chain, as it is crucial to maintain the freshness and quality of the product. Finally, access to packaging materials, specifically plastic trays and containers, is limited, making it difficult to acquire various packaging options. "Importing these materials to Morocco poses significant difficulties."

For SunCrops, the focus is on the European market, but the exporter will also focus on new markets in Asia, indicates Pérez: «Our Agadir fields have not been affected by the weather so far, but we foresee instability in weather conditions , which could affect yields later in the season. However, our efforts include strategies to manage these weather variables and ensure stable production despite potential problems. At the beginning of the season, our main objective remains the European market. However, our expansion strategy involves actively exploring new opportunities in the emerging markets of Asia and the Middle East, taking into account their growth potential and market diversification. “Through our market analyzes and forecasts, we see progressive demand at the beginning of the season due to growing consumption trends for healthy products such as blueberries.”

Lower volumes of blueberries in Peru could lead to new opportunities this season. «We will take advantage of the fact that volumes from Peru will be lower this season. We believe that new opportunities will come to us, as we will have a stronger negotiating position with buyers. We will also be able to improve our market share by covering the demand gap left by Peru. We will strengthen our leadership and our market share, with the idea of ​​becoming the preferred option for buyers. For all these reasons, we are optimistic for the rest of the season. With careful planning and a proactive approach, we aim for a successful season with constant growth and a greater presence in the market,” concludes Pérez.