Moroccan avocado exports: volumes, markets, calendar and quality standard
6 min read
In four campaigns, Moroccan avocado exports went from 42,000 to 112,000 tonnes, then halved in 2025-2026. Volumes, markets, calendar against other origins, dry matter, size codes and temperature: an importer's reference points.
vetafresh team
In ten years, avocado has become one of Morocco's fastest-growing export fruits. Volumes doubled in a single campaign, then halved the next one because of the heat. For an importer, the question is no longer whether Morocco matters, but when, how much and at what quality. Here are the reference points for the 2026-2027 campaign.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Volumes: 112,000 tonnes exported in 2024-2025, around 58,000 in 2025-2026, and 100,000 to 110,000 tonnes expected in 2026-2027.
- Markets: Spain, France and the Netherlands take more than 80% of the volumes.
- The window: mid-September to April, with room to take in November and December, between the end of Peru and the arrival of Israel.
- Quality: 21% minimum dry matter for Hass under the UNECE standard, 80 g minimum per fruit.
The figures
How many avocados does Morocco export?
| Campaign | Exports | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 42,300 t | Morocco was then the 9th exporter worldwide |
| 2023-2024 | 56,700 t | 179 million dollars, +25% |
| 2024-2025 | 112,000 t | More than 300 million dollars, to 27 countries |
| 2025-2026 | Around 58,000 t | Production halved after heatwaves |
| 2026-2027 | 100,000 to 110,000 t (forecast) | Mid-range figure; production estimates run from 80,000 to 180,000 t |
Sources do not all count over the same period. EastFruit works by marketing campaign, the Moroccan avocado exporters' association (MAVA) by season, the FAO by calendar year. That is why the FAO reports around 141,000 tonnes for the year 2025, when EastFruit counts 112,000 for the 2024-2025 campaign.
Planted area has tripled: around 4,000 hectares in 2018, 12,000 in 2024, according to figures reported by Hespress. The orchards sit on the Atlantic coast between Larache and Kenitra, in the Loukkos and Gharb basins.
Markets
Where do Moroccan avocados go?
Over the 2024-2025 campaign, according to EastFruit, Spain took more than 35% of the volumes, France 25%, the Netherlands 22%, the United Kingdom 7% and Germany 3%. Canada passed 1,000 tonnes.
Spain is the leading buyer: in 2025 it imported 39,159 tonnes of Moroccan avocados, which makes Morocco its second supplier, far behind Peru (169,596 tonnes).
The calendar
When Moroccan avocado finds its place
The Moroccan campaign runs from mid-September to April. The green varieties (Fuerte, Zutano, Bacon) open the season, but often have only a few weeks before Israeli fruit arrives. Hass ships from late October and can stay on the tree until April; Lamb Hass takes over from mid-January to June.
According to traders quoted by FreshPlaza, the best window for Moroccan Hass in 2026-2027 falls between weeks 45 and 51, from early November to late December. After that, Israel (around 165,000 tonnes of exports expected, a large share of it to France) and Spain arrive at the same time. Morocco keeps a logistics advantage: a truck reaches European buyers in about 72 hours.
The standard
What the standard requires
Avocado has no specific standard in delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429: the general marketing standard applies. An avocado that complies with the UNECE standard for avocados (FFV-42) is deemed to comply. That standard is the one buyers use in their specifications.
- Maturity: minimum dry matter of 21% for Hass, 20% for Fuerte, Pinkerton, Reed and Edranol, 19% for other varieties. Many buyers ask for 23% on Hass.
- Minimum weight: 80 g for Hass, 123 g for most other varieties.
- Size code: one code per weight range, matching the number of fruits in a 4 kg box. The higher the code, the smaller the fruit.
- Tolerances: 5% in Extra, 10% in classes I and II, 10% on size.
Size codes
Reading an avocado size code
| Code | Fruit weight | Fruits per 4 kg box |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 300 to 371 g | About 12 |
| 14 | 258 to 313 g | About 14 |
| 16 | 227 to 274 g | About 16 |
| 18 | 203 to 243 g | About 18 |
| 20 | 184 to 217 g | About 20 |
| 22 to 30 | 123 to 196 g | About 22 to 30 |
Weight ranges from the UNECE FFV-42 standard. The ranges of two neighbouring codes overlap slightly. On Hass, European buyers mostly look for codes 16 and 18, according to CBI, the Dutch centre for import promotion.
Cold chain
Temperature and ripening
| Stage | Reference | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transport of firm avocados (Hass) | 5 to 7 °C, 90 to 95% humidity | UC Davis |
| Ripe avocados | 2 to 4 °C (UC Davis), 5 to 7 °C (TIS-GDV) | UC Davis, TIS-GDV |
| Chilling risk | Flesh browning after more than 2 weeks between 3 and 5 °C | UC Davis |
| Ripening | Ethylene at 100 ppm, 20 °C for 48 h early in the season; fruit ready in 3 to 6 days | UC Davis |
Avocado is a climacteric fruit: it ripens after harvest and is highly sensitive to ethylene. It must not travel with products that release it. Chilling injury often shows only at ripening, at the ripener's, which is why the temperature record matters.
Our view. Moroccan avocado is a product with a future, but an irregular one: a heatwave can halve a harvest. For the 2026-2027 campaign, book volumes on November and December, set the minimum dry matter and the size range in writing, and plan a back-up origin in case of a weak year. Our avocado line is opening: varieties, windows and volumes are confirmed campaign by campaign in the quotation.
The vetafresh team, Agadir
Pitfalls
Common mistakes on Moroccan avocado
- Comparing export figures without checking the period: campaign, season and calendar year do not give the same total.
- Buying Hass without setting the minimum dry matter in the contract.
- Scheduling large Moroccan volumes in January and February, when Israeli and Spanish supply is at its strongest.
- Loading avocado with products that release ethylene.
- Judging a lot on arrival without waiting for ripening: chilling injury appears later.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many avocados does Morocco export?
112,000 tonnes over the 2024-2025 campaign according to EastFruit, then around 58,000 tonnes in 2025-2026 according to MAVA, after a harvest halved by the heat. Traders expect 100,000 to 110,000 tonnes in 2026-2027.
When does the Moroccan avocado season start?
Mid-September with the green varieties. Hass ships from late October and the campaign runs to April, or June for Lamb Hass.
Which countries import Moroccan avocado?
Mainly Spain, France and the Netherlands, which take more than 80% of the volumes, then the United Kingdom and Germany.
What dry matter for a Hass avocado?
21% minimum under the UNECE standard. Many European buyers ask for 23%.
What does size 18 mean for an avocado?
A fruit of 203 to 243 g, that is about 18 fruits in a 4 kg box. Codes 16 and 18 are the most sought after on Hass.
Sources: EastFruit, 2024-2025 exports, 23 December 2025, 2023-2024, 21 March 2025, and 2021-2022, 23 March 2023; Médias24, production falls by half, 25 March 2026 (MAVA); FreshPlaza, global avocado market, 2 October 2026, early-season window, 11 September 2026, African exports 2025 (FAO), 3 February 2026, EU imports (Eurostat), 28 August 2026, and varieties, 19 April 2023; FruitToday, Spanish imports, 24 March 2026; Hespress, planted area, 8 September 2025; UNECE, FFV-42 avocado standard; delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429; CBI, exporting avocados to Europe; UC Davis Postharvest, avocado; TIS-GDV, avocado transport. The 2026-2027 volumes are forecasts.
For varieties, ripening and our offer, see our Moroccan avocado guide.
Read also: Importing Hass avocados from Morocco: a 7-step buyer's guide.
Preparing the 2026-2027 avocado campaign? Ask us for a quotation with the variety, dry matter, size codes, weekly volumes and your delivery point.
