The blueberry industry met in Morocco this September and brought together important specialists, businessmen and investors, who together with Moroccan producers met at the XXXIII International Blueberry Seminar, which took place on September 11 at the Royal Tulip City Center Hotel in Tangier.

The event was a huge success in terms of attendance, with a full house and sold-out tickets. It was held at the highest level of participation, with a very solid and up-to-date programme regarding the most varied aspects of cultivation, both in its agronomic and commercial aspects.

technical tour

Later, a team of Blueberries Consulting and some international specialists who participated in the Seminar presentations made a Technical Tour to several blueberry fields in the area of Larache, where they found enriching realities regarding the behavior of some varieties and were surprised by the projections of the Moroccan blueberry industry.

“From what I have seen in Morocco, I believe that this industry will surpass Mexico in a couple of years,” said one of the foreign visitors, amazed by the efficiency of the management, the use of technology and the professionalism of the actors involved in the production, in addition to the public support and the privileged geographical conditions compared to the European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets.

Varieties

The first field that the delegation visited was that of the Bench Berry company, part of the Best Berry group, where they were able to observe the specific behaviour of the Sekoya Pop and Olympus varieties. The second field visit was to the Phyto Loukkus company, which produces Mayra, Kirra and varieties from the Costa group.

The third field that they were able to visit on the Technical Tour belongs to Driscoll's and another to Iberry, where they were able to observe the productive development of the Corina, Rosita, Cascade, Eterna, Madeira, Manila varieties, among others.

Fields from left to right Bench Berry – Phyto Loukkus – Driscoll´s

Projections

One of the important realities, which could be a challenge, and which the members of the delegation were able to verify, is the great difference in the quality of the waters, but in general, the level of the Moroccan industry presents great prospects, not only of continued growth, but also at a high level of efficiency in management and results, in terms of quantity and quality of fruit, so that the progress of Morocco's good positioning in the European market will quickly be replicated in its other commercial objectives, which are the entry into the Middle East and above all, the Chinese market.

In addition to the professional team of Blueberries Consulting, the Technical Tour was attended by numerous foreign specialists of different nationalities, including Bruno Mezzetti, the renowned Italian specialist in berries and plant genetics.