Morocco grows in potato exports

After  five years of almost uninterrupted decline , Moroccan potatoes are once again regaining a presence on the international market. A decisive factor has been the  end of restrictions in West Africa , which has allowed 42,900 tons to be exported between July 2024 and May 2025, according to data from  EastFruit .

In economic value, these operations  totaled $14.9 million . Furthermore, the export volume is 5.7 times higher than the entire 2023/24 campaign and represents a  50% increase compared to the 2022/23 season .

Despite this, current yields are still  far from the all-time high  of the 2018/19 season, when Morocco reached nearly 100,000 tons. Since then, the country has dropped from 28th in the world ranking of exporters in 2019  to 67th in 2023 , reflecting the sharp decline experienced by this sector.

Spain remains a relevant buyer

In the current European market, Spain remains among  Morocco’s main customers , while countries such as France, Portugal, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal have increased their purchases. In contrast, shipments to  the Netherlands, Burkina Faso, and Niger  are showing a downward trend.

The sector remains highly seasonal, with  peak sales between July and September  and again between February and April. Furthermore, the recovery is not limited to potatoes, as  Moroccan mandarins  have also seen an upswing in the same period.

At the same time, Spain is experiencing a paradox in its trade balance: between January and September 2024,  it exported 298,594 tons of potatoes , but at the end of the year it imported 548,000, confirming its  growing dependence on foreign purchases  to supply domestic consumption.