Moroccan blueberry harvest -60% due to cold snap

The cold snap that has been plaguing Morocco since the end of 2022 has had a serious impact on several crops, including blueberries, which are missing from the shelves and whose prices have reached unprecedented heights. Hiba Sauudi, a Moroccan soft fruit exporter, explains this situation. "In optimal weather conditions, like March last year, we harvest blueberries every day. But when temperatures reached their lowest point a few weeks ago, we only harvested once a week. Now we harvest every 3 or 4 days. This means a volume drop of more than 60%," explains Hiba. This problem occurs at the end of the season in Chile and Peru, and countries that grow blueberries in the Mediterranean region, such as Spain and Portugal, are experiencing the same problem as Morocco, according to the exporter. She adds: "This results in a high demand for Moroccan blueberries, while the volumes are not sufficient. The result is a shortage in the supermarkets and sky-high prices. There is especially a ...