In the first half of 2024, Morocco set a new record for fresh blueberry exports to several Eastern European countries. Moroccan exporters surpassed the total volume achieved in the entire previous calendar year, strengthening their position in the key Eastern European market.
From January to June 2024, Morocco directly supplied blueberries to four Eastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ukraine, and Poland. During this period, 2.1 thousand tons of blueberries were exported, up from 1.8 thousand tons for all of 2023. Notably, record shipments were sent to Poland (1.5 thousand tons) and Estonia (240 tons), though exports to Ukraine and the Czech Republic saw a slight decrease.
It’s important to mention that these numbers reflect only direct shipments recorded in each country’s statistics. The actual scale of Moroccan blueberry exports to Eastern Europe may be larger, as significant volumes also reach the region through Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany.
In total, between January and June 2024, the four highlighted countries imported over 25 thousand tons of blueberries, almost matching the total imports for the entirety of 2023, a challenging year affected by El Niño. For comparison, in 2022, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Ukraine imported 32 thousand tons, more than double the amount imported in 2019. Including other countries such as Lithuania, Romania, Latvia, and Slovakia, where Morocco had no direct presence, the total regional blueberry imports in 2022 reached nearly 45 thousand tons.
Despite countries like Poland, Ukraine, and Romania being significant blueberry exporters themselves, there remains considerable growth potential for local off-season consumption. The region’s primary suppliers, aside from re-exporters, include Spain, Chile, Morocco, Peru, Serbia, Portugal, Sweden, and a few smaller countries. The first half of the year sees European suppliers and Morocco dominate the market, while the second half is led by Southern Hemisphere countries and Sweden, which mainly supplies wild blueberries to the Baltic states.
From January to June 2024, Morocco directly supplied blueberries to four Eastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ukraine, and Poland. During this period, 2.1 thousand tons of blueberries were exported, up from 1.8 thousand tons for all of 2023. Notably, record shipments were sent to Poland (1.5 thousand tons) and Estonia (240 tons), though exports to Ukraine and the Czech Republic saw a slight decrease.
