The blueberry season in Morocco has been staggered this year, delaying peak harvest by almost a month. Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Red Fruit Producers, says: "We will see an increase in the harvest in the coming weeks and reach peak volume in April and May. Interestingly, this delay has become a commercial opportunity."

The producer representative explains the reasons for this unusual situation: "We had unfavorable temperatures for blueberries in the north of the country in November and December, coinciding with the flowering season. This delayed the fruit's growth, and producers harvested only 17% to 20% of last season's volumes by the end of February. On the other hand, in the Agadir region, conditions have been good and harvests have been normal, reaching 70% of the season's volumes so far."

"Productivity has clearly increased in Larache and will continue to do so until we reach peak harvest very soon. There will be abundant Moroccan blueberries on the market from now until the end of the season, in the second week of May," Bennani continues.

Larache growers face a major obstacle during this period of high activity. Bennani: "Labor is a major challenge. There will be a peak in blueberry production, in addition to the second cycle of raspberries and strawberries for freezing. There will undoubtedly be fruit losses because there won't be enough workers to harvest them."

From a commercial perspective, Bennani sees the season's delay as a blessing in disguise, explaining: "Seasonal variation due to weather is a global phenomenon, which also occurred in Spain and Latin America. This meant that many blueberries were on the market later than usual, and fortunately, the Moroccan production didn't arrive en masse earlier. Prices were not attractive and were even lower than last season."

"Between now and May, the market will be more favorable, which also gives us comfort given the shift by Moroccan producers this season toward the production of jumbo varieties, which are in high demand in European and Asian markets," Bennani concludes.