Morocco’s ware potato imports hit a record: floods in the north are the cause

Lead: According to the analytical platform EastFruit, Morocco imported more than 12,000 tons of fresh ware (table) potatoes between July 2025 and June 2026 — 1.5 times more than the country’s combined imports over the previous five seasons, and 2.4 times higher than the previous record set in the 2008/09 season. Verify: single source, requires independent confirmation — see below. The cause: catastrophic flooding in the Loukkos river basin in northern Morocco in January–February 2026, which destroyed part of the harvest, combined with a sharp surplus of potatoes in the European Union.

What happened

According to EastFruit data, Morocco’s imports of fresh ware potatoes for MY 2025/26 (July 2025 – June 2026) exceeded 12,000 tons — 50% more than the country’s cumulative imports over the previous five years, and 2.4 times higher than the previous record set in the 2008/09 season (source: industry outlet EastFruit, original in English and Russian; the same material was republished in various forms by FreshPlaza, as well as the Moroccan outlets Hespress and TelQuel, citing EastFruit — meaning this is a single primary data chain rather than independent confirmation of the figures. Verify.)

The surge was triggered by severe flooding in January–February 2026 in the country’s northern production zones, primarily the Loukkos river basin, where ware potato fields were submerged and some farms lost their harvest entirely. According to the industry outlet FreshPlaza (English language), the scale of the disaster was such that the city of Ksar el-Kebir, through which the Loukkos River flows, had to be evacuated; local grower and seed-potato importer Imad Hamoumana told the outlet that many producers lost everything to the floods and were unable to recover — either their land remains underwater, or the losses were too severe — with volumes not expected to be restored until the next planting cycle in September.

Against the backdrop of a collapse in domestic supply, imports rose sharply in March and peaked in April–May — these two months accounted for nearly 80% of the annual total.

Who supplied the potatoes. The Netherlands provided more than half of the shipments, France almost a third, and the remainder came from Belgium. The timing proved decisive: Europe was simultaneously facing an oversupply of old-crop ware potatoes and falling prices — the Dutch surplus was estimated at 500,000 tons, free-market potatoes were trading at negative prices, Belgian potatoes were priced near zero, and French producer prices in April were more than 20% below the previous year.

Why it matters

For Morocco, this marks a reversal of the usual trade pattern. The country is historically a net exporter of ware potatoes: for example, in the 2024/25 season (July 2024 – May 2025), Moroccan exports totaled 42,900 tons worth USD 14.9 million, according to EastFruit (source — republished via FreshPlaza/PotatoPro). Direct data on exports for the 2025/26 season itself could not be found in open sources at the time this material was prepared — verify — so the claim that Morocco “turned from exporter into net importer” this season would be premature; it is more accurate to describe this as a sharp and atypical spike specifically in the import side of the trade balance.

For the European Union, and the Netherlands in particular, the episode became a rare opportunity to offload surplus 2025/26 harvest amid collapsing domestic prices — EastFruit states directly that the coincidence of Moroccan shortage and European surplus created “ideal conditions for trade,” benefiting both sides.

What may happen next

(hypotheses and scenarios — not established facts)

Hypothesis. Repeating this volume of cheap EU imports next season may prove more difficult for Morocco. Basis: according to a World Potato Markets forecast (cited by FreshPlaza, English language), the EU potato harvest for the 2026/27 season could fall below 40 million tons for the first time — roughly 15 million tons less than the previous year — due to reduced planted area in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland, as well as heatwaves and drought. Condition for realization: the current trend of reduced plantings and weather-related losses continuing through the completion of Europe’s 2026 harvest. What would disprove it: if autumn 2026 harvests in key EU countries come in above current forecasts (MARS/JRC and national statistical agency data remain preliminary at this stage), the surplus could persist, and cheap re-export to Morocco would remain possible.

Scenario. A temporary window may be opening for alternative suppliers — primarily Egypt and Turkey. Basis: Morocco has already opened its market to Egyptian potatoes before (in 2024, Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture announced the opening of the Moroccan market to Egyptian supplies, according to Morocco World News, English language) — meaning a logistical and regulatory precedent exists. Condition: continued supply shortfall in Morocco combined with a narrowing of the European surplus in the 2026/27 season. What would disprove it: absence of confirmed contracts or shipments from Egypt/Turkey to Morocco in the new season — at present this remains a supposition, not confirmed by specific deals. Verify as new data emerges.

Duplication check

A search of indexed results for en.potatoes.news and related domains did not identify a prior publication on this topic (Morocco’s ware potato imports, 2025/26 season). A full check of potatoes.news itself could not be performed: the site uses JavaScript rendering and is not accessible for direct scanning — data not obtained: site inaccessible for full verification. Recommend Viktor check the internal editorial archive as an additional precaution before publication.

Sources

1. EastFruit, “Morocco’s ware potato imports hit record levels (MY 2025/26),” Aug 31, 2026 — industry analytical platform, primary source of the data, English language (Russian version also available on east-fruit.com). https://east-fruit.com/en/news/moroccos-ware-potato-imports-hit-record-levels-my-202526/
2. FreshPlaza, “Morocco’s potato imports reach record 12,000 tons in 2026” — industry media outlet, republishing EastFruit data, English language.
3. Hespress, “Les exportations européennes de pommes de terre vers le Maroc bondissent de 50%” — Moroccan media outlet, republishing EastFruit data, French language. https://fr.hespress.com/486604-les-exportations-europeennes-de-pommes-de-terre-vers-le-maroc-bondissent-de-50.html
4. TelQuel, “Hausse de 50% des importations marocaines de pommes de terre,” Aug 31, 2026 — Moroccan media outlet, republishing EastFruit data, French language. https://telquel.ma/instant-t/2026/08/31/hausse-de-50-des-importations-marocaines-de-pommes-de-terre_2004887/
5. FreshPlaza, “The endless rain has turned potato fields into soup” — industry media outlet, on-the-ground reporting, English language. https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9807267/the-endless-rain-has-turned-potato-fields-into-soup/
6. FreshPlaza, “Potato shortage in the Moroccan domestic market” — industry media outlet, interview with a Moroccan grower, English language. https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9820991/potato-shortage-in-the-moroccan-domestic-market/
7. FreshPlaza, “EU potato crop forecast below 40 million MT as prices rise” — industry media outlet citing World Potato Markets/Mintec-Expana, English language. https://www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9867419/eu-potato-crop-forecast-below-40-million-mt-as-prices-rise/
8. FreshPlaza, “European potato area declines up to 19% ahead of 2026/27 season” — industry media outlet citing NEPG, Destatis, French government estimates, English language. https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9841912/european-potato-area-declines-up-to-19-ahead-of-2026-27-season/
9. Morocco World News, “Morocco to Soon Import Egyptian Potatoes,” Apr 12, 2024 — Moroccan media outlet, background for the scenarios section, English language.
10. FreshPlaza/PotatoPro, “Morocco’s potato exports rise after five-year decline” — background on Morocco’s export balance in the previous season, English language.