MOROCCO: An export campaign sending bananas from the Canary Islands to Morocco has began following a trade delegation from the Spanish archipelago visiting Casablanca earlier this year.
The Association of Banana Producers of the Canaries (ASPROCAN) has sent the first shipments of Canarian-grown bananas under the first phase of the agreement which will see fruit grown on the islands, including Tenerife and La Palma, go to the North African country.
It is part of Asprocan’s continuing efforts to diversify the sale of Canary Islands bananas outside of the Spanish market to other countries including Morocco which currently imports approximately 20 million kilos of bananas from different origin. The country also has its own banana production, however volumes are not enough to keep pace with demand.
The trip to Casablanca earlier this year was organised in collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Canarian delegation held meetings with the main horticultural companies of distribution and maturation of Moroccan bananas.
As well as strengthening the main market of Canarian bananas, which has historically been mainland Spain, Asprocan is also looking at the potential for trade deals elsewhere in Europe and other North African countries including Tunisia.
