In the north of Morocco, the season of blueberry It has just begun and, despite the influence of the weather, the outlook remains positive. This is what is being reported. Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Red Fruit Producers (AMPFR)He explains that in areas like Agadir, low temperatures and darker days have limited the expected volumes. In contrast, in the north—where the harvest is just beginning—the expectation is to reach higher volumes than last season, driven by greater expansion of activity and the maturation of the plants.

Bennani adds that the weather conditions have also been felt in the Larache region, without causing a significant drop in volumes, but affecting the production schedule of Moroccan blueberry“In general, the start of the harvest was delayed by about three weeks compared to last season,” he says, adding that there is a trend toward later harvests because the cold slows down fruit ripening. Regarding the rains, he indicates that no significant damage was recorded and that the impact varies from producer to producer.

In terms of quality, sizes remain within the standards of the planted varieties, considering that many producers have shifted towards larger sizes. However, the colder weather with fewer hours of sunlight has influenced parameters such as Brix level and color in some cases. Regarding the peak production of blueberryThe projection points to April, provided there are no severe weather events.

The start of the season has also been marked by a significant presence of fruit in the local market. According to Bennani, while Europe maintains a high supply, some producers found it more advantageous to sell their first harvests. blueberry harvests in the domestic market, where prices were more attractive. “That should change as volumes increase, export costs decrease, and demand in Europe strengthens,” he concludes.