Morocco Avocado Exports 2026: From a Record Season to a Weather Shock — and a Forecast Rebound

2024/25: the season Morocco doubled its exports

Moroccan avocado exports grew for five consecutive marketing years. After a then-record 56,700 tonnes in 2023/24, shipments roughly doubled to 112,000 tonnes in 2024/25, according to EastFruit. Export revenue passed US$300 million for the first time, and avocados accounted for more than 10% of Morocco’s fruit and berry export earnings.

The peak came in January 2025, with 32,600 tonnes shipped in a single month — more than Morocco exported in the whole 2019/20 season. By volume, avocados ranked as Morocco’s third-largest fruit export in 2024, behind only mandarins and watermelons.

On a calendar-year basis, the FAO’s preliminary Tropical Fruits Market Review (January 2026) puts Moroccan avocado exports at about 141,000 tonnes in 2025, up 90%. That made Morocco Africa’s top avocado exporter for the first time, ahead of Kenya (about 105,000 t) and South Africa (about 80,000 t). Africa as a whole shipped about 430,000 tonnes, while global avocado exports reached around 3.3 million tonnes.

150k100k50k0

42.3k2021/22

56.7k2023/24

112k2024/25

58k2025/26

125–130k2026/27*

Sources: EastFruit (2021/22, 2023/24, 2024/25), Moroccan Avocado Association via FreshPlaza (2025/26), *exporter estimate by Ahmed Bouljid via FreshPlaza, 22 Sep 2026 (2026/27, forecast). 2022/23 not shown: no final consolidated figure verified.

Where Moroccan avocados go: destination markets

Europe remains the core market, but the mix has shifted. In 2017/18 roughly three quarters of exports went to Spain, much of it for re-export. By 2024/25, Moroccan exporters were selling far more directly to retailers and importers across Europe and beyond.

Source: EastFruit, 23 December 2025.

The diversification story is the most interesting part for buyers. EastFruit reports that Canada went from under 70 tonnes to more than 1,000 tonnes, shipments to Italy and Switzerland grew about sevenfold, Portugal about fifteenfold and Belgium about twelvefold. Mauritania and the UAE kept growing and Turkey resumed purchases — signs that Moroccan fruit is reaching Africa, the Gulf and North America, not just the EU.

Which avocado varieties does Morocco grow?

Commercial avocado growing in Morocco dates back to the 1950s, helped by mild winters and the moderating influence of the Atlantic. EastFruit notes that almost all major varieties are grown: Hass dominates exports, alongside green-skinned varieties such as Gwen, Pinkerton, Zutano, Bacon and Fuerte, which extend the season and serve different market segments.

2025/26: why exports fell to 58,000 tonnes

The following season was described by Abdellah El Yamlahi, president of the Moroccan Avocado Association (MAVA), as “exceptional and very tough” (FreshPlaza, 20 March 2026). Exports came to about 58,000 tonnes, roughly half the previous year, and the season closed earlier than usual, in early March 2026. Several shocks combined:

• Heatwaves at the start of the cycle destroyed close to half of the expected crop.
• Floods and strong winds late in the season hit the Loukkos and Gharb, Morocco’s key northern growing areas.
• Logistics disruption: weather-related port closures, a shortage of trucks and long delays hurt fruit quality toward the end of the season.
• Difficult pricing: prices stayed high in Morocco while Europe faced prolonged oversupply from other origins, leading to disputes between growers and exporters and pauses in harvesting.

Pressure continued into summer 2026. In August, Abdelkrim Allaoui, president of the Gharb Avocado Growers Association, said a late-June heatwave of more than 36 °C for five days coincided with natural flower drop, and that some growers around Tiflet, Allal Bahraoui and Sidi Yahya El Gharb were considering uprooting trees (FreshPlaza / Ecofin Agency, August 2026).

The water question: is the industry at risk?

Water remains the sector’s structural challenge. Avocado orchards need roughly 6,000–12,000 m³ of water per hectare per year, depending on soil and climate, in a country facing prolonged drought. Official figures cited by FruitToday put Morocco’s dam levels at 34.22% of capacity in August 2025.

Policy has already moved. In September 2022, Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture ended irrigation subsidies for new plantations of avocado, citrus and watermelon. Meanwhile the orchard base kept expanding: Ecofin Agency, citing ministry data, reports that harvested area rose about 40% between 2022 and 2024, and FruitToday estimates planted area tripled from about 4,000 ha in 2018 to 12,000 ha. The government is investing in dams, desalination, inter-basin water transfers and more efficient irrigation, but those projects cannot remove avocado trees’ sensitivity to extreme heat.

2026/27 outlook: a strong crop and a tight window

Early estimates for the new season are positive. In September 2026, exporter Ahmed Bouljid (Entrepôt Frigorifique Lixus) estimated Moroccan production at around 180,000 tonnes and exports at at least 125,000–130,000 tonnes, citing good rainfall until March, moderate temperatures during fruit development, and young Gharb orchards planted three to four years ago now coming into production. He expects sizes 16–18 to make up 35–40% of the crop and size 20 another 20–25%.

Competition will be intense. According to Unique Packing (FreshPlaza, 11 September 2026), Chile (about 280,000 t) and Israel (about 300,000 t) both expect record crops, Colombia anticipates higher volumes, and Spain peaks from February to April. Moroccan exporters therefore see weeks 45–51 (November–December) as their best opportunity, before Israeli supply builds from late December. Beyond January, the outlook remains uncertain.

Note: 2026/27 figures are industry estimates published in September 2026, not official statistics. We will update this page when Office des Changes / EastFruit season data is released.