Moroccan watermelon competes with Spanish in the French market
France’s imports of Moroccan watermelon have seen significant increases over the past decade, surpassing the growth rate of imports from Spain, which has long been the primary supplier. This shift comes amid changing supply dynamics within the European market and a growing presence of Moroccan agricultural products.
Data published by Hortoinfo revealed that Morocco’s watermelon exports to France jumped from 23.96 million kilograms in 2015 to 61.13 million kilograms in 2024, an increase of 155.08 percent. In contrast, Spanish exports only recorded a modest growth of 4.87 percent, rising from 95.34 million kilograms to 99.98 million kilograms during the same period.
This change reflects the expansion of Moroccan exporters in European markets, especially France, supported by low production costs and an earlier agricultural season compared to their Spanish competitors. The report indicated that in 2024, global watermelon imports reached 3.91 billion kilograms, valued at approximately 2.262 billion euros, with an average price of 0.58 euros per kilogram.
The United States remained the top importer, with 808 million kilograms, followed by Germany with 474 million kilograms and Canada with 246 million kilograms. France ranked sixth globally with imports of 201.27 million kilograms, representing 5.15 percent of the global market, highlighting its importance for Moroccan producers.
Morocco continued to supply other European markets with watermelon, including the United Kingdom, which imported 9.94 million kilograms, while its exports to Spain amounted to 28.7 million kilograms in 2024, at a time when Spain had to resort to additional imports from countries like Senegal and Mauritania.
