Morocco has emerged as Africa’s leading avocado exporter in 2025, overtaking Kenya, according to the latest tropical fruit market review by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The FAO’s 2025 report shows that Morocco nearly doubled its avocado exports year-on-year, rising from 73,848 tonnes in 2024 to approximately 141,046 tonnes in 2025. The surge places the country at the forefront of Africa’s rapidly expanding avocado trade.
EU Market Drives Growth
Data from Morocco’s Agriculture Ministry indicates that harvested avocado area expanded by roughly 40% between 2022 and 2024, reflecting sustained investment in orchard development and export-oriented production.
During the first nine months of 2025, nearly 90% of Moroccan avocado shipments were destined for European Union markets, underlining the country’s strategic geographic advantage and trade alignment with Europe.
Favourable weather conditions during the growing season also contributed to improved yields, according to assessments from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Kenya and Regional Headwinds
Kenya, previously Africa’s leading avocado exporter, recorded a 19% decline in shipments — from 129,706 tonnes in 2024 to 105,164 tonnes in 2025. The FAO report attributes export slowdowns in Kenya and South Africa to logistical bottlenecks and elevated shipping costs linked to disruptions in the Red Sea corridor.
In 2025, attacks on commercial vessels by Yemen’s Houthi rebels forced many shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal route, significantly increasing transit times to Europe. The report notes that export potential was constrained by nearly doubled shipping durations and surging freight costs.
For sub-Saharan exporters heavily reliant on maritime access to European markets, these disruptions materially affected competitiveness and delivery schedules.
Climate and Water Sustainability Questions
While Morocco’s export performance reflects strong market positioning and production growth, sustainability questions remain. The country’s avocado sector depends heavily on irrigation and off-season production, even as Morocco has faced prolonged water stress.
Earlier this year, Water Minister Nizar Baraka declared an end to the country’s seven-year drought following substantial winter rainfall. However, climate analysts caution that episodic heavy storms may signal intensifying climate variability rather than long-term water security, with flooding risks and uneven rainfall distribution complicating agricultural planning.
A Strategic Export Shift
Morocco’s rise in the avocado trade underscores a broader shift in Africa’s horticultural export dynamics. Proximity to Europe, investment in cold-chain logistics, and adaptive production cycles have strengthened its competitive position.
As global demand for avocados continues to expand — particularly in European markets — the challenge for leading exporters will not only be maintaining volume growth but ensuring water sustainability, supply-chain resilience, and long-term climate adaptation.
Morocco’s 2025 performance marks a milestone for its horticulture sector — but sustaining that lead will depend on balancing export ambition with environmental stewardship.