Nabil Belmkaddem, General Manager of the agro-export company BestBerry, based in the province of Kénitra, in Morocco, is an executive recognized for being in favor of introducing more plants and varieties to the country, extending the cultivation surface, in the perspective of expanding the commercial possibilities of Morocco.

“Every year new varieties with different qualities are presented that we have to take advantage of, because the price to the producer falls every year and we have to increase competitiveness. Each time is harder. It takes a lot of work to create the perfect fruit, without blemishes, with the right flavor or the right firmness,” he says.

Morocco and COVID 19

In the context of a pandemic that affects the world, Morocco has had to close its borders, like most nations, which has affected the harvest of crops in Spain mainly, which has the workforce of Moroccan seasonal workers. , so we asked Nabil Belmkaddem:

How does the closing of borders affect the Moroccan industry?

• Orders from European supermarkets have dropped and there are logistical problems in bringing the fruit to Europe, that is, more time at the border crossing from Morocco to Spain. Some multinational berry companies have asked their growers to uproot their raspberry plantations and have enforced quotas for blueberries.

 What has been the result of the blueberry campaign?

• Most of the patented varieties have peaked, but public varieties will peak in 2 weeks, and prices have fallen from € 7 to producers in early February to € 3. Therefore, the months of April and May will be very difficult for blueberry growers in Morocco.

The Moroccan season is not yet over, so the volumes produced, the shipments exported and the values ​​collected are not officially available. There is only partial information, however, the manager of BestBerry already sees a situation that involves the industry and especially the producers.

What is your vision of the Moroccan blueberry industry?

• Growth in the area has been exponential in the last five years, with a subsequent drop in prices. Demand in Europe is increasing, but it is not absorbing supply from Morocco and southern Europe from March to May. Therefore, there must be an evaluation and consultation between the main actors regarding the new plantations that are being carried out.

In this context, encompassing a local and global perspective of the blueberry industry, Nabil Belmkaddem is very clear in ensuring that the next International Seminar organized by Blueberries Consulting to be held in Casablanca on September 10 of this year "It will provide a great opportunity for the industry to assess its position and set the course for the future."

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