Morocco's Potato Imports Hit Record High in 2025-2026
Morocco recorded a record level of potato imports during the 2025-2026 season, topping 12,000 tonnes, after floods hit the Loukkos basin, with the Netherlands as the leading supplier.
Morocco's potato imports reached an unprecedented level during the 2025-2026 season (July 2025 to June 2026), with the Kingdom importing more than 12,000 tonnes, a rise of over 50% compared with the combined imports of the previous five years, and 2.4 times the previous record set in the 2008-2009 season, according to data reported by the specialized platform EastFruit.
A sharp acceleration from March
This import surge was concentrated mainly in spring 2026. Foreign purchases began rising sharply from March, before peaking in April and May, which together accounted for nearly 80% of the volumes imported over the entire season. The acceleration followed heavy rainfall and flooding that hit several production areas in northern Morocco in January and February 2026, particularly the Loukkos basin, where potato fields were flooded and some farms lost their harvests, reducing supply on the domestic market. Imports intensified in the following months to offset this shortfall, pending the arrival of new harvests in May.
The Netherlands leads suppliers
Supplies were largely dominated by European suppliers:
| Supplier country | Share of Morocco's imports |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | More than half |
| France | Nearly a third |
| Belgium | The remainder |
Morocco's rising import needs coincided with a particular situation on the European market, marked by large surpluses of old-crop potatoes and strong downward pressure on prices: the Dutch surplus was estimated at 500,000 tonnes, with potatoes trading on the open market at negative values, while prices in Belgium were close to zero and French producer prices in April were more than 20% lower than a year earlier.
Why it matters
This record highlights how exposed Morocco's domestic potato supply is to extreme weather events, and revives the debate over protecting local farming sectors from climate shocks. It also shows how a domestic production crisis coinciding with exceptional abundance on international markets can turn imports into a fast safety valve for the domestic market, while local production returns to its normal pace.